On Being Sheila Gonzalez
by Nate Grey
Summary: 4th in the On series. Shego is gradually adjusting to life with the Possibles.  But as it turns out, she's not the only one adjusting to her and Kim's new relationship. Complete.
1. Default Chapter

Notes: This installment in the "On" series follows "On Board, Baby," and will hopefully round out the entire series nicely. If it doesn't, well...I could always do more, I suppose.

Summary: Shego has to make some major life changes to adjust to life with the Possibles. But as it turns out, she's not the only one adjusting to her relationship with Kim…

**On Being Sheila Gonzalez**

**(4th in the "On" Series)**

**A Kim Possible Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

Like most people, Kim Possible didn't like to admit that she made mistakes.

In all fairness, though, considering the early hour, and the fact that she was still half-asleep, one could hardly blame her for making such a mistake.

She had gone into the kitchen, recognized the figure at the stove as a tall female, and had instantly assumed that it was her mother. As such, she'd muttered a somewhat cheerful "Morning, Mom," and kept going.

"Wanna try that again, Kimmie?"

Kim came to a complete stop, blinked, and slowly turned around.

Shego grinned at her. "Don't look so surprised. You've seen me in disguises before."

This was true, but Shego had never tried to pass herself off as a housewife. As such, Kim was a little taken aback to see the woman wearing an apron, even if it was tied over a green jogging suit. She was even more surprised to see that Shego was actually cooking something.

"I didn't know you could cook?"

Shego shrugged as she turned back to the pan. "Can't, really. Pancakes, I can do. Anything else is pretty much...well, rocket science. Mom promised to show me some recipes later."

Kim smirked. "Did you just call my mother 'Mom,' Shego? Because that's a bit premature."

"Is it?" Shego countered. "I'm not going anywhere, and you're crazy if you think I'm gonna let you go. I figure she might as well get used to it."

"This wouldn't be yet another way of you pressuring me into telling my parents about us, would it?"

"Nope. Just getting them used to family life with me in it. Hence the pancakes. Want some?"

"Sure, I'll take a stack," Kim replied with a smile. Shego certainly had the right idea about easing her parents into the whole confession, but she herself remained less than confident about it, probably since it would be her doing the confessing. Shego had assured Kim that if the Doctors Possible didn't approve of their relationship, she wasn't above 'kidnapping' their daughter to some remote island where even Wade would be hard pressed to find them. The idea held some appeal for Kim, but in the end, she would just miss her family far too much.

But it was the fear of severing that strong connection that kept her from telling her parents the truth. Every time she tried, Kim ended up imagining the worst and chickening out at the last minute. She hadn't even worked up enough nerve to tell Ron and Monique, though she had a feeling that Monique had already pieced it together on her own and was just waiting for Kim to fess up.

On the other hand, it was entirely possible that her parents had also figured it out, and were just waiting for Kim to come to them. Shego had been entirely true to her word about not taking the relationship any further until Kim was ready, and she'd surprised herself by becoming more ready than she'd known. In fact, in their last few make out sessions, Shego had been the one to put a stop to things. The walls weren't paper-thin, but Kim had proven to be a rather vocal partner, just as Shego had proven to be a rather talented one. It was simply a bad combination for two people doing their best to get away with anything.

Shego brought all her thoughts to an abrupt end by waving a fragrant plate of pancakes under Kim's nose.

"Having a flashback?" Shego asked with a wicked grin.

Kim blushed and snatched the plate from her. "No, I wasn't!"

"Funny. That's exact same way your face looked when I licked-"

"Okay, I was!" Kim snapped, turning dark red. "Happy?"

"Not until I can make you relive those flashbacks, no." Shego returned to the stove, swaying her hips a bit more than was necessary.

Kim practically drowned her pancakes in syrup and studiously began shoveling them into her mouth. Shego had never been an easy person to ignore, and now that they'd become intimate, it was near impossible to do so. Kim often managed it, though, with varying degrees of success.

It was at this point that the twins wandered in, obviously drawn by the smell of pancakes. They were a bit more awake than Kim, though, and instantly noticed that it wasn't their mother doing the cooking. It didn't seem to bother them in the least, though, as they both grabbed plates and cornered Shego with cheerful demands for pancakes.

A few months ago, Shego might have just silenced them both with plasma blasts. Today, however, she simply loaded up their plates and sent them to the table with only somewhat awkward pats on their heads. Lately, she had taken to calling them everything from "brats" to "sneaky little smartasses" (only when their parents weren't around, of course), because she still couldn't distinguish one from the other to save her life. The twins didn't seem to mind that, either, because they kept begging Shego to try out their inventions. The last few had been plasma manipulators, so she hadn't minded much when they blew up. Kim hadn't dared to thank the tweebs for accepting Shego so quickly, out of fear that they'd change their minds just to spite her.

Kim was nearly done with her stack by the time her parents came down. Both of them looked surprised to see Shego cooking, but only Mrs. Possible seemed pleased. As understanding as her father was, he was obviously concerned that Shego might return to her old ways, and hadn't really been able to relax around her just yet. She had, however, improved his opinion greatly by taking a job with the security team at the Space Center. Kim had hoped it would force them to spend more time together, but Shego only worked the graveyard shift on weekdays, so they rarely even saw each other outside of the house.

Shego hadn't really expressed much concern over the matter, either. She'd won Mrs. Possible's favor, and that was enough for her. Kim had suggested that maybe calling her father "Pops" wasn't helping, but Shego seemed determined to do so, anyway. Still, it was an odd situation, and Kim figured every additional day Shego was allowed to stay in the Possible home was a small victory for them.

Once done with her breakfast, Kim kissed her parents' cheeks and rushed back upstairs for her bookbag. Had her parents and the tweebs not been there, she would have also given Shego a kiss, but it wouldn't have been on the cheek. She'd slipped up more than once, but Shego had so far managed to mask all those near-kisses with one-armed hugs. Kim couldn't help it, the desire to show Shego affection was nearly instinctive by now, and the thought of not doing so was unnatural. Anyone who watched them for more than a day almost had to know they were close.

As she passed through the kitchen again on her way out, Kim once again had to suppress the urge to kiss Shego goodbye. She was reflecting on how unfair it was when Shego's voice broke into her thoughts.

"If you don't mind waiting a minute, Kimmie, I could give you a ride to school."

Kim stopped short. "A ride? Since when do you have a car?"

"I didn't say I had a car," Shego replied with a secretive grin, "just that I'd give you a ride."

Kim very nearly turned red, until she realized that Shego would never make a joke about sex in front of her parents. "Okay," she agreed after a second's thought.

Mr. Possible looked up from his morning paper. "This won't make you late for that job interview, will it, Shego?"

Shego smiled patiently as she took off her apron. "Don't worry, Pops. I've got it under control. Kimmie won't be late, and neither will I."

Kim waited until they were outside before turning on Shego. "I thought you already had a job? You didn't say anything about an interview!"

Shego shrugged. "Didn't want to get your hopes up, in case it didn't pan out. Besides, the Space Center gig is only late night. What am I supposed to do while you're at school all day? Babysit an empty house?"

"So what's this new job, huh?"

"Don't you worry your pretty red head about it. If I get it, you'll know."

"Shego...this isn't anything you could get in trouble for, is it?"

"It's totally legit, Kimmie," Shego assured her. "I promise you'll know all about it as soon as I know something for sure."

"Well...okay. So where's this non-car we're riding in?"

"Right this way." Shego made a small gesture with her hand, and a large hovercraft instantly became visible in the backyard.

"Tell me you didn't steal this from Drakken."

"Nope, a mere parting gift. He insisted, in fact. It's got stealth options, so you don't have to worry about anyone seeing us."

Kim paused. "You say that like we'll be doing something we wouldn't want others to see inside it."

Shego grinned. "Well, aside from flying a hovercraft, maybe we could. But I thought you'd want to pick up your little fanclub, too."

"Oh. Right." It would be totally mean to fly to school and leave Ron and Monique to walk, Kim realized. "Maybe after school, then."

Shego's grin widened. "But you've got cheer squad practice today. I don't think you'll be in any mood to kiss me then."

Kim frowned. "Why wouldn't I?"

But Shego would say no more.

* * *

"I never thought I'd say this, but I could kiss Drakken for giving you this," Monique said as the hovercraft touched down about a block from the school.

"He couldn't appreciate it, anyway," Shego laughed. "Dr. D is allergic to affection, to hear him tell it."

"You mean you tried to show him some?" Ron asked in shock.

"Only when I was really bored," Shego said with a straight face. "Or when I wanted to see him squirm."

"You shouldn't be telling him this before class. PDA is frowned on at school, and so is being late," Monique pointed out, checking her watch. "Let's book, boyfriend."

"Right behind you, sweet thang!" Ron answered, following her down the ramp.

Shego made a face as she turned to Kim. "They're not really dating, are they?"

Kim shrugged. "I really don't know. I've been...distracted lately. I could ask again, I guess." She began to follow Ron out.

"Hold up, Kimmie. Aren't we forgetting something?"

Blushing, Kim hurried back and gave Shego a big kiss. "Good luck with the interview," she said breathlessly, rushing right back out.

Shego leaned back in her chair and checked her watch. Her interview was twenty minutes away. And if she actually had to go back home and change, she might have been worried. But she'd brought a change of clothes with her, and as for the job...well, it was practically right in front of her.

"See you soon, Kimmie," Shego whispered. "Sooner than you think."

* * *

All of the cheerleaders were surprised to find Steve Barkin waiting for them in the gym before practice.

"Afternoon, ladies. It has come to my attention that Possible and Rockwaller have been carrying the considerable responsibility of leading this squad for some time. While they've been doing an outstanding job, I think it's time we had some new blood take up the task."

Bonnie was just shy of indignant. "You're demoting us?"

"Hardly, Rockwaller. I'm simply making someone else responsible for the whole squad. They still answer to you and Possible, but you both have to answer to someone else now."

At that moment, the gym doors slammed open.

Mr. Barkin grinned. "I present your new coach, Miss Sheila Gonzalez."

A pale woman clad in a white top, denim cut-off shorts, and black combat boots strode in. She had a full head of black hair, which stretched down her back in a long, braided ponytail that nearly reached her feet.

Kim only barely suppressed the coughing fit that suddenly rose in her throat, making her eyes water. As it was, her heart was pounding like crazy, and she was almost sure everyone else in the room could hear it.

"I leave them in your capable hands," Mr. Barkin said, nodding at the new coach. With that, he walked out of the gym.

For a few long moments, the new coach said nothing. She glared at each of the girls in turn, holding eye contact for at least five seconds. Most of them looked away, Kim especially.

"King!" she barked suddenly, and Tara jumped accordingly.

"Yes, coach?" Tara asked in a quivering voice.

She nodded approvingly. "Bring me a trash can."

Tara ran to comply, placing the trash can at the coach's feet before falling back in line.

"I have some rules. Simple ones, and not many, but rules that will get you kicked off this squad if they're not obeyed." Her steely gaze flicked to and from various girls before stopping on Bonnie. "Rockwaller! Front and center."

Bonnie didn't scramble like Tara had, but she didn't take her time, either.

"How are you at handstands?"

Bonnie almost looked insulted. But before she could answer, the coach's hands flew out, and Bonnie screeched as she suddenly found herself upside down, suspended by her ankles.

The coach shook her a few times, and a cell phone bounced onto the floor.

"Rule number one: I hate anything that beeps. So if you have anything with a ringtone, turn it off now. If I hear or see it during practice, it will go in this trash can, and after practice, I will take it outside and burn it."

Hands quickly flew to pockets, but no one disposed of their beloved cell phones. Kim even found her fingers switching the Kimmunicator to the rarely used OFF position.

The coach waited until everyone was done before setting Bonnie back on her feet.

Bonnie stumbled back to the line, breathing hard and red in the face. She'd forgotten all about her cell phone, which the coach quickly pocketed.

"Rule number two: I am a perfectionist. Naturally, this doesn't mean I expect you to be."

There were some relieved faces, until the coach continued.

"If you're not, however, then you'll wish you were. Because no one EVER leaves this gym until they've gotten the routines right. I don't care if we're here until the bell rings for school to start again, you WILL stay here until you know the moves."

Nobody looked happy about that rule, but no one commented, either.

"Rule number three: this is a team and you will act like it at all times. I catch any of you badmouthing another member of this squad, you're off the team, no questions asked."

Kim didn't dare look, but she knew Bonnie had to be hating that one.

"Now that we've gotten the talking out of the way, time for a little warm-up." The coach's cold, green eyes flicked over Kim's face briefly as she strode through the girls and headed for the top of the bleachers. "Possible! Let's go."

Having no idea what was expected of her, Kim obediently followed. Based on what she'd seen so far, she didn't dare expect any special treatment. If anything, that would only make the team question if the coach was playing favorites.

Kim tried not to show any sort of fear or discomfort as she joined the coach at the wall, but it was hard not to.

The coach lowered her voice slightly, so that only they could hear. "I want you to give me a Colorado Catwalk."

Kim blinked slowly and turned to look at her. "I don't know that one."

"The hell you don't," the coach spat, glaring at her. "Colorado Catwalk. All the way across, until you reach the other wall. Then you do it all the way back."

Kim was about to say again that she didn't know any such routine. But as she looked into the coach's eyes, something hit a tripwire in her brain, and a memory came rushing back to her.

She'd followed Drakken's trail to an abandoned factory in Colorado, and had been chasing him across a rusty catwalk that was on it's last leg. Just as Drakken reached the other end, Shego had come out of nowhere, forcing Kim back onto the catwalk with a few close range plasma blasts. Without really thinking about it, Kim had done a series of backflips to keep herself just out of Shego's reach, occasionally using her famous vertical leap to avoid a section that didn't look sturdy enough. It was something she'd barely pulled off the one time, and certainly nothing she wanted to attempt again.

Any yet it was being demanded of her, not once, but twice, and in front of the whole squad, no less. The very thought made Kim want to quit cheerleading forever, or at least be conveniently and violently sick for the rest of the day.

She decided to try and get out of it one last time. "Even if I could do it again, they'd never be able to do it. They're not me."

"No," the coach agreed. "But they will be. Now MOVE IT, POSSIBLE!"

The look on the coach's face was so close to what it had been that day on the catwalk, Kim moved back before she knew what she was doing, and by then, it was too late to stop. She let gravity pull her back, throwing back her hands and hoping they found the bleacher she needed to keep going. Amazingly enough, they did just that, and soon she was tumbling backwards, not able to think about what she was doing or where she was going, just doing it so the coach could yell at someone else.

The next thing Kim knew, her back hit the wall harder than she would've like, driving the breath out of her. She was going to stop and catch her breath, but the coach was staring at her expectantly, so she made the return trip, again without being able to focus on what she was doing. Instead of the wall, this time she nearly slammed into the coach, who she suspected had moved into her path while the girls were watching her instead.

"Not bad...for a first try," the coach commented.

Kim felt incredibly insulted, but of course, she couldn't say anything. She could barely catch her breath as it was.

But after what followed, Kim was feeling a bit better about her own attempt. The coach made all of the girls do the same thing, and everyone messed up on the first tries. Several girls ended up whacking their heads on the bleachers before they ever even reached the floor. Bonnie was the first to make it to the floor without mishap, but then she slipped and landed hard on her back, somehow managing to avoid cracking her skull open. Despite their injuries, though, the coach had no mercy for anyone. Anyone who was still conscious after messing up got an earful of shouting. Tara actually burst into tears at one point, but Kim suspected that might've had more to do with how she'd tripped in the bleachers and fallen on her arm, which she was still forced to use in later attempts.

The practice went on for three long hours, and Kim was the only one allowed to leave on time, since she alone had finished the routine. Fortunately, that seemed to inspire the other girls, because minutes after Kim returned to the locker room, Tara appeared, favoring her arm more than ever now, but smiling triumphantly. Bonnie was next, but she mumbled something about the coach saying she had to stay after practice for some reason.

Kim made a point of congratulating all the girls, even Bonnie. Only half of them genuinely appreciated it. The other half seemed to think that the Catwalk had been her idea and wouldn't even look at her. Kim was just glad that it was all over...for now.

* * *

Sheila Gonzalez was definitely starting to amend her initial impression of Bonnie Rockwaller. She wasn't going to apologize for turning the brat upside down or pocketing her cell phone, but she was willing to admit (to herself) that she'd been wrong about Bonnie. Maybe Kim had been, too.

Bonnie showed up seconds after the last girl left, just like Sheila had known she would. Maybe she was only doing it in an attempt to get away faster, but at least neither of them would be wasting any time.

"I hear you and Possible don't get along so well," Sheila remarked casually.

Bonnie's eyes narrowed at once, but she managed to keep the edge out of her voice. "You heard right."

"She worth getting kicked off the team for?"

Bonnie opened her mouth, and Sheila could tell she almost said yes. But then the girl's lips thinned into a line, and she looked away.

"No."

"I don't much like you, Rockwaller. But I see how the other girls look at you. They respect you, and I respect that. So I'll tell you what I'm gonna do."

Bonnie tensed up at once, as if she could sense this was something she wouldn't like.

"I'll make you a deal," Sheila said. "Your friend, Tara. She's got potential...but she won't make it. Not the way I'm going to drive this team, not with that arm, and not by herself. So when she falls behind...and trust me, she will...her fate falls to you."

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked.

"If she stays on this team, it'll only be because you worked with her, you made sure she knew her stuff, you kept her from quitting or being thrown out. If she gets left out, it'll be because she wasn't worth your time. So you've got a choice to make, Rockwaller. How good a friend is she? How good a friend are you?"

Bonnie bit her lip, staring at the floor.

"I'll make it even easier for you. You work with Tara, and I'll give you a free pass. So long as you don't do it in my face, anything you say to or about Possible, I'll let it slide."

Bonnie's head snapped up in surprise. "But why?"

"I like manipulating people. It's a hobby. So what's it gonna be, Rockwaller? You in or out? Or should I say, is Tara in or out?"

"In," Bonnie said quietly.

"Then you do what you have to. The Catwalk is going to be our warm-up every practice. Make sure Tara knows it. Keep in mind you're training for two now. Because I'm not wasting any extra time on either of you. Got it?"

"Yes, coach."

"Good. Get some sleep, Rockwaller. You're gonna need it."

* * *

Shego paused in front of Kim's door, knowing full well exactly the kind of reception she'd get. She'd been mentally preparing herself ever since leaving the school, and was determined that neither of them would go to bed angry.

Feeling somewhat prepared, she opened the door.

"We need to talk," Kim said before she even got one foot in the door.

"I'm aware," Shego replied calmly.

"I'm glad. About that, and that only." Kim fixed her with a glare. "I don't know what bugs me more. That you didn't warn me about this, or that you could be so cruel."

"Sorry, Kimmie, but I don't let business and pleasure mix. If you thought I would take it easy on you-"

"That's not why I'm angry!" Kim shouted. "Shego, don't you get it? You can't treat those girls that way! You can't...can't..."

"Say it, Kimmie," Shego said quietly.

"You can't expect them to be me," Kim sighed, lowering her head.

"You're right. They're not you." Shego came closer and lifted Kim's chin. "But they will be, when I'm done. And there's no reason they shouldn't be."

Kim laughed bitterly. "So you're bored with me already?"

"You know that's not it, Kimmie. I could never be bored with you. That's why I'm doing this, in fact. Because I'm selfish and I want you all to myself. I'm doing this for us."

"You're going to have to explain that one, Shego."

"I intend to." Shego sat on the bed, pulling Kim into her lap. "I know you can do anything. But let's pretend, for a moment, that you're not invincible, that your bones break like everyone else's, that you are, in fact, only human. And let's say that one day, some loser gets tired of hearing your name. Sick of it, in fact. So he waits until you're walking home from school one day, and hits you with his truck." Shego felt Kim's body stiffen in her arms, but she kept going. "That means I have to sit in some seedy waiting room with the rest of the fam while Mom tries to put her baby girl back together. And you know how I hate feeling useless. Then I have to stay by your side while you slowly start to heal, but it'll never be the same. You might never walk, or you might not know me half the time, or you'd blame me for not being there to save you, and the more we loved each other, the more we'd yell at each other, and one day we'd figure out that it just won't work anymore, and then I'd have to kill you, Kimmie, because I won't let you walk out on me, ever."

"That won't happen," Kim said after a moment.

"I know it won't. I won't let it. That's why I'm training all those replacements."

"Shego, the world needs me."

"No, the world needs a hero. You just happen to be it right now. You break your back, and it'll still need a hero. Difference is, I'll make sure there is one. And I'll make sure you don't have to break your back for someone to step up, too. The only health concerns you should ever have is how exhausted you're going to be every time I get done with you."

Kim shook her head and pulled away. "Shego, I'm not going to retire while I can still do some good."

"The hell you aren't," Shego growled. "If you didn't do it for me, which would REALLY piss me off, by the way, you'd do it for your family, or Stoppable."

"Look, just because I'm with you doesn't mean I belong to you."

"That's EXACTLY what it means," Shego snapped. "As far as I'm concerned, half of this body is mine, and it isn't going anywhere I don't want it to."

Kim shook her head. "That isn't how love works, Shego."

"That's how MY love works, Kimmie. It's my job to keep you out of that truck's path, and I take it seriously. If you can't handle that, too bad. All I have to do is let your parents know exactly how close you come to buying the farm on a regular basis, and you're out whether you like it or not."

"You wouldn't dare!" Kim cried. "You like missions just as much as I do!"

"You're right, I do. But you're forgetting something, Kimmie. I gave up my missions to be with you. You saying you can't do the same for me?"

Kim opened her mouth, and then shut it, doubt and guilt seeping into her expression. "Shego...it's not...I mean, you...you were working for Drakken!"

"So because my missions were 'bad' and yours are 'good,' you shouldn't have to give them up? Even though I gave mine up for you? Is that what you're saying?"

"No! But..."

Shego sighed. "I never thought I'd say this, Kimmie, but you're not being fair, to me or you. I overhauled my whole life for you. I think the least you could do is seriously consider doing this for me."

Kim looked utterly defeated for the first time that Shego could recall.

"I'm not doing this to punish you, Kimmie. I can do that at school. I want to take care of you, but I don't want to end up doing it because you're in a wheelchair for life, or because you broke every bone in your body. I just want to take care of you. It just happens to be a lot more convenient for both of us if you're right here with me."

"...do I have to stop right away?" Kim finally asked.

"No, I wouldn't do that to you. I didn't actually have a particular date set in stone. I was thinking maybe after you're 21. Or in college. Something like that. I just wanted you to know what I expected." Shego paused. "But when I put my foot down, you won't put up a fuss?"

Kim hesitated. "Not if I feel it's justified. I mean, if I came back from a mission with a chunk blown out of my arm, I could see that."

"I'm trying to prevent that, actually," Shego reminded her with a tight smile.

"I know, I know." Kim sat down beside her on the bed. "There is one good thing that will come out of this."

"You mean being forced to spend the rest of your natural life with me?" Shego asked sweetly.

Kim smiled. "No. My parents are going to love you for this, if nothing else. But let's get one thing straight. Babysitting the tweebs is now a two-person task."

Shego shuddered. "To think I used to like it when you were devious."

"Never had to use it against you. Since we got together, I mean."

"Stoppable might be onto something. Maybe I am corrupting you."

"Let's just hope Mom and Dad don't see it that way."

"They won't. Mom won't, at least. Her, I can handle. But you have to deal with Pops."

Kim smirked. "Funny. I usually only hear that from boys."

"We mature faster," Shego said simply. "You've got better taste now."

"Oh, I do? Because Sheila Gonzalez makes me wonder what I've gotten myself into."

"Someone's got to keep you in line."

"Seriously, Shego. Promise me you'll never wear that braid anywhere else. I want to at least pretend you're two different people so I can hate her without feeling bad."

Shego chuckled. "Sure. But if she knew how you felt, she might just have to be extra rough on you tomorrow..."

"No fair! At home you can't be her!" Kim insisted.

"I don't recall agreeing to that, Kimmie."

"Shegooo!" Kim whined. "You can't do this to me!"

"Technically, she can. But she won't. THIS time. You'll have it rough enough without her leaning on you."

Kim's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

But Shego only grinned as she brushed her lips against Kim's. "Night, Kimmie."

"Shego, what did you mean?" Kim demanded as Shego slipped into bed and began to snore loudly. "Shego!"

* * *

Next Chapter: Shego stumbles upon a BIG secret that's being kept from Kim, and has to decide where her loyalties lie.

Reviews! (for "On Board, Baby")

angel-1844  
I like. This is an awesome series because when you think about it Shego and Kim are a great pair. To bad Disney can't play anything like that. Anyway can't wait to read your next one.

_They can. They just don't have the grapefruits. Yet Bonnie gets away with "glistening" in "So the Drama." Sick and wrong!_

* * *

Gryfffinrose  
I liked the end:smiles: If you didn't notice, I take any kind of pairing, any kind. I do not ever flame for that kind of stuff.

_Thank God for open minds and people who just don't give a damn, so long as someone swaps spit. I don't know which one you are, but bless you for it._

* * *

Serpent King  
Will Drakken still be trying to take over the world? Or will he get a new hobby?

_Depends. A man of his supposed genius should have many options. But I'm reminded of the last time Drakken boasted of his genius, and Shego remarked, "But have you ever been TESTED?" (My guess is no)_

* * *

Raven's Girlfriend  
Ick. Another Dementor with no face.  
Nice, dude, very nice. I can't wait for the next one. I don't know about, but "So The Drama" bothered me. Mainly because Kim and Shego were acting like such bitches to each other. And in the end, when Kim kicked Shego, she fried her hair! Shego's hair was fried! I was devastated. And I was none to happy with the Kim/Ron kissy action, but I won't go into that.  
Anyway, I will be waiting for some real good romance! Keep it up.

_What, someone beat me to a melty face Dementor? Damn. Who was it?_

_I too was bothered when Kim kicked Shego into the electrical thingee. Although I was more worried that it might, I don't know, KILL Shego and make Kim an anti-hero (plus I'm a big Nicole Sullivan fan, ever since Mad TV). So of COURSE it only fried her hair. Damn Disney and their cheap cop-outs. If only Bambi's mother had comet powers to shrug off that bullet and vomit neon green fire. Sniff._

_The kiss I didn't mind so much. The music video for the kiss...eh. Even though I think Christy Carlson Romano's mouth is kinda wide, I kept it to myself, cuz she's KP. But I gotta say, I wish someone else had done "Could It Be." Seriously. High notes ain't her friend. Which, incidentally, also applied to Kim for half an episode. Nice touch of realism, so why didn't they LEARN from it?_

* * *

Ghostdraconi  
I love Kim/Shego fics, they have great chemisty together (I really can't see Ron and Kim together). This was a great fic, I look forward to reading the sequel.

_You can't see Kim and Ron together? They're together everyday! Oh, you mean THAT way. Well, it varies from writer to writer. Me, I almost never put them together. But you gotta love the romantic tension. Nothing else in the world like a nice, thick slab of KP angst._

* * *

gargoylesama  
Going to drop in general comments about the final chapters at once. Nice little play between Monique and Ron. Out of all the females in the series Monique has the most compatible likes of Ron. I am sure that she is probably a closet gamer as well.  
Drakken is left at loose ends. He has his henchmen, but no second in command. Will he find a new one, or possibly seek to go legit? Before people scoff, remember that both the US and USSR cut major deals for Nazi spys and scientists at the end of WW2. Drakken has done nothing anywhere near those type of crimes.  
Kim and Shego looks like they are taking things slow. Shego is going to have some major adjusting ahead of her. Not to mention what Kim is going to face if their relationship comes out when they are in school.

_I feel if Ron can fall for Yori, he can fall for Monique. She lives on the same continent, and is just as exotic in my humble opinion. (that might just be the closet Raven fan in me talking) At least Monique has done the sidekick thing once, not to mention totally gorging herself at Bueno Nacho. They have so much in common already. And if the thought of them boning didn't totally blow Kim's mind, I say it could work._

_Drakken will prolly be laying low for a while. Because once again, he's just not the star._

* * *

Saint Raven  
We need more Kim/Shego! Other than that, update really soon!

_Do you really? There's plenty, after all._

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Melody21  
hey dude lovin this fic please update soon or imma kick ur ass! hehehe hey my reveiwer threaten me and it works wonders for motivatin me...does it work? but seriously love this story, its really cute and i cant wait for more

_See, I know people threaten because they like the story. Still pisses me off. So no more story for you. That's it, it's all over. Everyone, Melody has just RUINED it for you all. You're not even reading this, cuz I ended the story long ago, so we're not even here right now._

* * *

Serpent King  
No Drakken?  
I don't think he'd try to kill, he still wants to hire her. I figure he'd try to help.  
Besides, 'A Sitch in Time' aside, I don't think he'd go so low as to attack her while she's so vulnerable. Especially considering Shego's budding relationship with her.

_I don't know. Making Kim's own grandmother kick her butt is low to me. Assuming that Kim didn't get out of them, most of his traps are lethal. But this is Drakken. If he'd slap a mind control chip on Shego, who already works for him (no matter how sarcastically), I think a baby Kim Possible might at least tempt him to at least take a picture of her in a dirty diaper for blackmail. It almost happened. Really. Only Bonnie would've done it. Didn't make the final cut. Not sure why, really. Just isn't a Bonnie type of story...yet._


	2. Secrets and Lies

Chapter 2: Secrets and Lies

Had she been a normal person, Shego probably would've gotten sick of her current schedule long ago. However, she was running on pure adrenaline and sheer strength of will one half of the time, and comet power the other half (which was in truth much easier).

Mornings probably would've been better spent in bed (alone), but Shego opted to eat breakfast with the family, and then drive (well, fly) Kim and her friends to school.

From there it was purely a judgment call: either go home and dive back into bed, or find some way to keep herself occupied until cheer squad practice. More often than not, Shego found herself stalking the halls of Middleton High as Sheila Gonzalez. At first, she simply told herself that she was only doing it to be near Kim. And for the first few days, she did walk back and forth past Kim's classes several times. Then she found herself checking on Bonnie's classes, then Tara's, or some other cheerleader's. It occurred to her that maybe this was a bad sign, but stopping never crossed her mind. That, and it was worth it to catch Bonnie drooling in her sleep the one time it did happen.

Practice usually ran anywhere from three to five hours, depending on the difficulty of the routine and how worn out the girls were from the last practice. All of the routines were difficult, though. Half of them were based on missions Kim would've preferred to forget, and the rest were from missions Shego would've preferred to forget. Those were mostly pre-Drakken days, but only Kim knew that.

After practice, Shego always went straight home, where Kim was sure to be unless there was a mission. Wade had figured out that missing practice was out of the question, so he'd even stopped calling during the day if it was work-related. Consequently, though, Kim almost always had a mission waiting for her in the evening. At least, it seemed that way to Shego. But they had both agreed that Shego would not be joining Kim on any missions. Kim's excuse was that Shego needed to spend time with the family when she wasn't around, and Shego's excuse was that a mission might cause her to be late for work.

Shego's security job at the Space Center started promptly at eleven, and she was never late. Even if meant she only had time to greet Kim with a quick kiss as they prepared to go to work and bed, respectively. The job wasn't difficult, after the first few robbery attempts. Word got out fast that Shego was guarding the Space Center, and most people just stopped trying. Shego honestly missed the exercise, but it was easy money and kept Mr. Possible off her back, so she didn't complain.

The shift ended at five in the morning, and Shego had nearly wrecked the hovercraft twice in a rush to get home and spend just over an hour in bed with Kim. It wasn't much, but it was worth it. Kim obviously agreed on some level, because while she was very much a bed hog, there was always plenty of room when Shego came in from work. And the instant Shego slipped into bed, Kim would roll to her and toss a possessive arm over Shego, snoring lightly all the while. It was an unattractive but endearing sight, and Shego welcomed it.

* * *

"Got any plans for Saturday?" Kim murmured sleepily as Shego laid down beside her.

Shego blinked, not having realized that Kim was awake. "No."

"You do now," Kim replied through a yawn. "Monique wants to do a shopping spree at the mall."

"What time are we going?"

"Not we. You and her. I'm helping Dad test some stuff at the Space Center."

"Oh." Shego considered that for a moment. "Okay."

At that, Kim rolled over to stare at her, although rather blearily. "That's it? No protests? No complaints?"

Shego shrugged. "Nope. It's just mall time with Monique." As if that needed clarification, she added, "We like Monique. And it's not like you're making me to spend the day with Stoppable." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you?"

"No," Kim sighed. "Just you and her. Girl talk and stuff. But you said you'd be nicer to Ron."

"I am. It's just easier when he's nowhere near me."

"Doesn't count," Kim muttered.

"Does," Shego argued, pulling her closer.

"Doesn't," Kim insisted.

"Does," Shego replied, nibbling lightly on her ear.

"Ooooh...does."

Shego grinned. "Thought you'd see it my way."

"Cheater," Kim muttered, but her heart wasn't in it.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Kimmie."

* * *

It only took an hour of thoroughly abusing Monique's Club Banana employee discount for Shego to realize that she'd missed the simple pleasures of life. Sure, she'd had money enough, but she'd been too busy lately to even think of shopping for fun.

After getting one too many dirty looks from Monique's supervisor, they'd retreated to the food court, where Monique insisted on the best junk food money could buy. Normally, Shego would've been too concerned about her figure, but Monique was buying, and she could always work it off later.

Monique had just put away her second double fudge brownie when she suddenly looked up and said, "Okay, time to get real, Shego. You know I didn't bring you out here just for food and fun."

Shego grinned at her. "Sorry, 'nique. I'm spoken for."

"Very funny," Monique muttered dryly. "I'm trying to be serious here."

"Right. Totally serious now. Shoot."

"How far have you and Kim gone?"

Any remaining traces of the grin dropped off Shego's face at once. "Excuse me?"

"Don't get defensive on me, Shego. I'm just curious. Inquiring minds want to know."

"Uh huh. And does one of those inquiring minds own a bald rat?"

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean."

"Then let me be perfectly clear." Shego leaned forward, glaring into Monique's eyes. "Not only is it none of your damn business, but I've got half a mind to ask you some deeply personal questions."

Far from looking startled, Monique leaned back in her chair and stared expectantly at Shego. "Fine. Got for it. I've got nothing to hide."

"Yeah? You and Stoppable dating?"

Monique actually laughed. "THAT'S your deeply personal question?"

"Which I notice you still haven't answered."

"Okay then." Monique took a moment to stop smiling. "I swear to you that not only have I never dated Ron, the thought has never even crossed my mind. There. Satisfied?"

"So why not? Not your type?"

Monique looked thoroughly amused. "If you must know, he really isn't. Assuming you weren't into girls, would a guy that followed a pretty redhead around all day be YOUR type? And is it me, or are you trying to hook me up with Kim's best friend?"

Shego snorted. "If I thought it was possible and would keep him out of my hair, I'd hook him up with Drakken. I'm not picky and I doubt he can afford to be."

Monique just sighed. "You know, Ron isn't horrible. Kim's hung out with him her whole life. He's a really sweet guy."

"Yet you're not interested."

Monique rolled her eyes. "Shego, stop and think for a minute. Every time you see Kim, Ron is like three seconds behind her. It's been like that forever. I'm willing to bet the main reason you don't like Ron isn't because he's goofy, or loud, or packing naked mole rat. It's because you see him for what he really is: competition."

"Say what?" Shego asked blankly.

"You can't tell me that you've never assumed that Kim and Ron were a couple."

Shego didn't say anything.

"Just like I thought. Well, news flash, you're not the only one that thought that. I only know better because I'm in the loop. You see a boy and girl together ALL THE TIME, you start assuming things. Deep down, you can't forget that Ron's always been there. You don't like him because you're afraid Kim is going to wake up one day and realize she's been in love with her best friend since they first met, and it pisses you off like nothing else."

"Are you done?" Shego growled.

"Nope. Trust me, you don't have to worry about any of that."

Shego froze. "I don't?"

"No, you don't. There's a bunch of reasons why, but the main one is this: Kim loves you. I can see it, you can see it, and Ron can see it, no matter how much he doesn't want to. And considering she's my best friend, too, you shouldn't be surprised that I'm trying to pry into your relationship. I know she loves you. I want to know if you love her...and if you've loved her, so to speak."

"I still say it's none of your damn business. Ask Kim, if you're such good friends."

Monique shook her head. "She'd be too embarrassed. You're just mad. I can work with mad." She paused and lowered her voice. "Shego...I'm not here to doubt what you have with Kim. I just need to know if you're as serious about her as she is about you. Because if you're not, you owe it to Kim to tell her so. If you are, then we'll never speak of this again."

"Well, I am serious about her," Shego snapped, "so back off."

Monique held up her hands in apparent surrender. "Consider me convinced. Got any more probing questions for me? If not, I saw this green scarf at Snow Seasons that would look perfect on you."

Shego wanted to be mad, but she had come to shop, and she could hardly blame Monique for wanting to protect Kim. Just as long as she realized that job was taken now, they'd continue to get along fine. Maybe.

"Yeah, okay," Shego grumbled, looking much more sour than she actually was at the moment.

Monique just smiled and licked some fudge from her fingers.

* * *

Having a rare hole in her schedule, Kim decided to give Ron a call. They hadn't had as much time to hang out together without it being mission-related lately, and aside from that, she honestly missed sitting around and doing virtually nothing with him. Knowing Ron as she did, she knew an invite to chow down at Bueno Nacho was the perfect way to spend their afternoon.

Ron picked up on the second ring. "You've reached Ron and Rufus, you lucky person, you!"

"Yup, hi!" Rufus squeaked into the phone.

"Hey, guys. You two busy?"

"Kim!" Rufus squealed, even as Ron greeted her with his usual, "Hey, KP!"

"Should I take that as a yes? I was thinking we could hit Bueno Nacho."

There was an odd pause, because Ron never hesitated where Bueno Nacho was involved.

"We?" he asked. "As in us three, or us, and...um..."

"I know she's had trouble with your name, Ron, but I thought you had hers down. It's Shego."

"I know, it's just...just..."

"What is it?"

"...KP. Can I be brutally honest with you for a sec?"

Kim frowned. "I would hope you're always honest with me, Ron."

There was another odd pause.

"Listen. I know Shego saved you and your mom, and I'll always be grateful to her for that. But this thing between you and her..."

"It's called a relationship, Ron. You've had a few."

"Yeah, and one of them used to be with you."

That brought Kim's thoughts to a screeching halt. "What?"

"I'm sorry, KP. I shouldn't have said that."

"Why did you say it at all?" Kim demanded.

"Things are different now, KP. Even when you were all about Josh, you still had time to talk my ear off about how great he was. But ever since you took Shego in, it's been nothing like that. I barely see you at all outside of school and missions, and I have yet to hear about one of your dates with Shego."

"Dates? What are you-"

"KP," Ron interrupted, "I'm not stupid. This is Shego we're talking about. No one with red blood in their veins could sleep in the same room with her once and not think about her that way. And she's been sleeping in your BED, for months now. If you're not dating her yet, you're both fooling yourselves."

"You knew?" Kim asked quietly.

"I suspected. That, and Monique told me about the time she walked in on you two panting like dogs in heat."

Kim flushed at the memory. Kissing in the hovercraft had been a bad idea. They couldn't have known that Monique would double back for her forgotten notebook...or that said notebook was only forgotten in the sense that Monique had forgotten to mention she'd left it on purpose.

"I'm not here to judge you, KP. I just wish you'd trusted me enough to tell me the truth."

Kim flinched at the words. She couldn't ever recall Ron sounding so disappointed. "Ron, it wasn't like that. I haven't told anyone. Not yet. If the wrong people found out, Shego could lose her job, and I might lose my credibility. Not to mention how some of our foes might try to use her against me, or me against her."

"You don't get it, KP. If Shego means that much to you, you should've told me no matter what. How can I help you protect your loved ones if I don't know who they are? How can I help you if you don't tell me what's going on? I had to find out from Monique that my best friend was seeing someone. Do you have any idea what that feels like? It's like a demotion from best friend to...to occasional acquaintance."

"Ron, no!" Kim cried. "That's not how I feel at all!"

"You're still not listening, Kim," Ron sighed. "It's how I feel."

"Why didn't you say anything? All you had to do was tell me, and I would've-"

"What? Broken a date with Shego and been totally miserable the whole time you were with me? Thanks, but no thanks."

"So what are you telling me, Ron? That I have to choose between you and Shego? Or that we're not friends anymore?"

"Neither. I'm saying I want my best friend back. The one who would've told me things like she and Shego are a couple now. The one who wouldn't have me chasing down Monique for info on her. The one who I've been missing like crazy."

"I'm sorry, Ron. I guess ever since Shego became a bigger part of my life, I've been taking everyone around me for granted. I don't mean to, but I've never felt like this about anyone before."

"I can't really blame you, KP. Shego isn't like most people you'd date. She really might bite your head off if you brushed her off."

"Actually, it's you I'm having trouble getting her to accept."

"Well, obviously she doesn't have a good opinion of guys. I mean, she's worked for Drakken all this time."

"True. But I expect you two to try being civil. For me, if nothing else."

"I'll try, KP. For you. But this is gonna take time. I mean, last time I checked, you were still into guys."

"And does my change in dating preference keep us from major snackage at Bueno Nacho?" Kim asked.

"Heck no! But, um...Shego's not coming, is she?"

"No, Ron. She and Monique went to the mall."

"Really? Why?"

"Remember that whole being civil thing I mentioned? Monique's actually doing it."

"Yeah, but she's a girl," Ron pointed out. "And we KNOW Shego likes girls."

"Shego is not sexist, Ron."

"Okay, KP? No more mentioning Shego and any form of 'sex' in the same sentence. Would help a LOT with the whole getting used to this deal."

"Aren't you the one that said people couldn't be around Shego without thinking about it?"

"Well...yeah, but you still don't have to SAY it. Especially if you know I'm already gonna be thinking about it. It's just a lot less appealing, now that you're involved."

"...I know you're having a rough time accepting this, Ron, so I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that."

"Don't take it that way, KP. I mean...it's hard to see you with a girl. Just seems like such a waste. Think of all the poor guys you're disappointing."

Kim laughed. "I'm sure all those broken hearts couldn't have a better spokesman."

"Yeah," Ron said weakly. "Ron Stoppable, Leader of the Lonely Hearts Club."

"Don't sound so down. I'm sure all you need is a few nacos to pick you up. I'll even race you there. Loser buys?"

"Hope you're hungry, KP, because you're gonna be eating my dust!"

But as Ron hung up, the smile dropped off his face, and he collapsed across his bed, staring angrily up at the ceiling.

"She was right all along. You're not a loser, Ron Stoppable. You're just the biggest coward that ever walked the planet."

* * *

"So, what's your night look like?"

Monique's head jerked up as she quickly stuffed her cell phone back into her pocket. "Huh?"

"I said, what are you doing tonight?" Shego asked from the hovercraft's controls.

Monique relaxed. "Oh. Actually, something just came up. Can't miss it. Total fashion emergency."

"Ah. Had a big enough dosage of Shego for one day, huh?"

Monique rolled her eyes. "If I didn't like you, I wouldn't let you use my employee discount, and I certainly wouldn't treat you to double fudge. Only real friends get the royal treatment from me."

"And the fact that I sleep with your best friend has no bearing on that whatsoever?"

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe there's someone out there that might actually like you because deep down, you're hiding a decent human being?"

"No," Shego said flatly, bringing the hovercraft to a gentle stop.

Monique sighed loudly and stood up. "Fine, be that way." She leaned over and brushed her lips gently against Shego's pale cheek. "But if you ever need an endorsement to wow Mama and Papa Possible, you got my digits."

"Uh...thanks," Shego muttered as Monique hurried down the ramp.

Monique had barely gotten inside her house when she brought out her cell phone again, highlighting the name and number of the last caller. Within seconds, she had a connection.

"Okay, boyfriend. What's the sitch?"

"...promise me you'll never say that again."

Monique had almost reached her room when she stopped short. "What's wrong, boo?" she asked, concern in her voice.

"I can't do this anymore, Monique. It hurts too much. I thought I could tough it out, but...I just can't tell her. And I hate myself a little more every day."

Shaking her head, Monique pushed open the door to her room...and gasped as a dark figure rose up to meet her.

"You were right. I was just fooling myself. It was never going to happen. And now...it's too late..."

Monique rushed forward as he fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. Wordlessly, she ran her slim fingers through his hair as he clung to her waist, sobbing as if his heart had just been broken.

"It'll get better, you know," she said softly.

"How?" he asked bitterly.

"I can make it better. We can. Just tell me what you need."

He shook his head. "I just want to forget that I ever felt this way."

Monique sank down and drew him into her arms. "Then you've come to the right place," she whispered, pressing his face into her neck. "I promise, boo, that how you're feeling right now will just seem like a bad dream when I'm done."

* * *

"So you had fun?" Kim asked eagerly, and only a second after Shego entered the room.

"Yeah, it was okay," Shego remarked. "Why wouldn't it have been? I told you, I don't have a problem with Monique. It's Stoppable I'm learning to stomach."

"He's learning the same, Shego. He's still not used to me seeing girls."

"I think it's less that you're seeing girls, and more that you're seeing me, Kimmie. But I can't really hold that against him. I'm sure I've scared the crap out of him more than a few times."

"He said he'd try. For me."

"I'm sure there's a lot he would do 'for you,' including save you from the Dark Side, a.k.a. Hot Lesbian Action."

"Ron wouldn't do that. He knows this is my choice, and he'll support me in it. Eventually."

"It would be a lot easier to go to your parents if we had some back-up. Which reminds me, we got Monique's vote."

"See? I told you the mall was a good idea!"

"Kimmie, that was a done deal ages ago. She's probably the only person that hasn't given me any lip about being with you. Unless you count your bratty brothers, but they find other ways to annoy me."

"It's their specialty." Kim sighed a bit. "I do wish Ron was okay with this. He seemed so distant at lunch. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him."

"I'd hunt him down and drag him back," Shego assured her.

Kim shook her head. "It wouldn't do any good, if he didn't want to be around me."

Shego suppressed a groan. "Okay, fine. Call him and set up a playdate. I'll take him somewhere and talk this out."

"Talk? Not threaten with mean words or violence, but talk?"

"Yes, talk," Shego growled.

Kim beamed and threw her arms around Shego's neck.

"Don't thank me yet, you still have to get him to say yes."

"I'll talk him into it," Kim said confidently, speed-dialing Ron's number on her phone. Her smile slipped a little, moments later, when she put down the phone. "He's not answering. Why wouldn't he be home?"

"People who look distant don't always return to base. Maybe he went somewhere to take his mind off his woman troubles." At Kim's blank look, she translated: "Us."

"Oh." Kim bit her lip, looking worried. "Where would he go? He's already been to Bueno Nacho. Maybe Felix has heard from him. Did Monique mention anything?"

"Only that they've never dated," Shego replied. "Guess we were wrong."

"Guess so. I'll try Felix, and then..."

"What?"

"I don't know," Kim admitted softly.

* * *

Bonnie could see that Tara was on the brink of exhaustion. But, she could also see that Tara had a little more to give. After asking herself what Coach Gonzalez would've done, she knew what she had to do as well.

"Okay, Tara. Let's try some more handstands."

Tara's already weary face seemed to droop a little more as she carefully fingered her slightly swollen arm. "Bonnie, can't we stop for the night, please? I'm really, really tired..."

Bonnie shook her head. "If you've got enough energy to complain, you can tough it out."

"But I don't WANT to tough it out! My doctor said I shouldn't be using my arm at all, and I-"

"A doctor's note isn't going to keep you on the squad, Tara. If anything, it'll ensure you get kicked off. While you're resting, the squad will be learning more and more difficult routines, and you won't have any chance of catching up. If you want to stay on this squad, you have to work through the pain."

"Maybe I should quit," Tara muttered, lowering her head. "Ever since I got hurt, this isn't fun anymore. My arm is always bothering me, I can't keep up in practice, the coach doesn't even yell at me when I mess up since she knows I can't do any better, and I'm even starting to resent you for all these extra practices. I hate feeling this way, Bonnie...about myself, and about you."

"It's not all fun and games for me, either," Bonnie snapped. "You think I like making sure that your arm never gets a chance to heal properly? Well, I don't. But it's either watch you suffer and stay on the team, or let you quit and have you resent me for letting you give up something you used to love so much."

"I'm just holding you back, anyway! You don't have to keep doing this!"

"I choose to keep doing it, Tara. I happen to think you're worth losing a little beauty sleep over. You quit now, and I'll know I was wrong. No, it's not fair, but I never said it would be. I only said that I'd help you stay on the squad. I can't do that if you won't work with me."

"But it hurts so bad, Bonnie," Tara whimpered.

Bonnie sighed. "Fine." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, white bottle. "Painkillers. You take one, it works for twelve hours. Won't do you much good, though, since I'm only ever giving you one a week."

"One?" Tara asked miserably.

"Yes, one. Less chance of you getting addicted that way. You can't start relying on them, or me to give them to you. I really shouldn't be doing this at all, but if you're just going to sit there and whine, there's no point in us doing this anymore." Bonnie put the bottle back in her pocket. "So. You do the handstands, I give you one, and if I'm still in a good enough mood, maybe I'll let you use my hot tub."

"Okay," Tara murmured, getting to her feet slowly. She was so focused on getting done that she didn't notice the brief look of pride that flashed across Bonnie's face.

* * *

Shego had a hunch, and she'd told Kim as much, but nothing more.

She had been replaying the day in her mind, trying to recall if anything Monique had said would hint at any previous knowledge of Ron's vanishing act. Normally, Shego wouldn't have done that, simply because she trusted Monique. And maybe that was the real problem.

Whenever the subject of Monique came up, the first thing Kim would invariably say was how Monique had always, always been there for her, either to offer advice, a sympathetic ear, or the latest gossip. What she'd left unsaid, however, was that Monique's constantly being on her side also meant that somewhere along the line, she'd lied to protect Kim.

At least, that was how Shego's mind saw it. The true test of a friend was how good and how often they could lie for you. Unfortunately, the really good friends were always the ones that lied the best, which complicated things.

Because Shego's hunch told her that Monique was lying again...just for someone else this time. She hadn't told Kim that, of course, despite repeated requests to know what the hunch was. It had taken nearly ten minutes to convince Kim that staying home was best, in case Ron called or stopped by. They both knew he wouldn't, but Kim had finally agreed.

Now that she was standing on the balcony outside of Monique's room, Shego wondered if this was the right course of action. If she was wrong, she could end up losing Monique's trust. If she was right...well, it'd probably be more of the same, but at least Kim would know the truth.

In the end, as long as she had Kim, anything else was collateral damage.

For a woman of Shego's experience, the locks on the window were easily undone, even without the aid of plasma. It was just as easy to slid inside without a sound.

What was not so easy was suppressing the giggle in her throat as Shego saw that she'd interrupted a very private moment. Even in the darkened room, she could make out two twisting, moaning bodies in Monique's bed.

Well, it was nothing Shego hadn't seen before, but she'd never thought of Monique as the type to bed a guy (or girl) on the first date. It made her wonder just what was so special about the mystery man, to the point where she figured it couldn't hurt to take a peek.

But when Shego crept over to the door and flipped on the lights, she was the one who got the shock of her life.

* * *

Next Chapter: Monique has some explaining to do, but when the truth comes out, not even Shego is prepared for the consequences. 


	3. Crime and Punishment

Chapter 3: Crime and Punishment

Kim wanted to tell herself that she was merely imagining things, but a little voice inside her head continued to insist that she was in danger of losing those closest to her.

It had all started on the night that Ron went missing. Although he'd finally shown up the next day, he had not been himself. At least, not the Ron that Kim had come to recognize as her best friend. He was very jumpy, and seemed especially on edge whenever Kim was around. It was almost as if he were afraid of saying or doing something that would upset her, but Kim was honestly more worried about him than anything else.

Then there was Shego. She hadn't said a word about her hunch since that night, and whenever Kim tried to bring it up, the subject was always immediately changed. Aside from that, Shego had become a lot more subdued lately. Her infamous sarcasm seemed to have faded away completely, and Kim found herself missing all the usual witty replies. More than that, she missed the Shego she'd first kissed, because only traces of that woman remained now.

Monique was perhaps the most mysterious. and therefore most disturbing change of all. She seemed to have absolutely no time for Kim anymore, claiming that she was simply busy for some unknown reason. The first few times, Kim had thought that might be true. But with every additional rejection, she began to sense that Monique was doing everything in her power to stay away from her. It was unusual, confusing, and above all else, frightening.

* * *

Shego knew even before she touched the door handle that something was very wrong. Perhaps Kim's parents had found out about them, or a mission had hit too close to home. Whatever it was, it was upsetting Kim, and someone needed to do something.

She eased the door open, only to find Kim facedown on the bed, crying softly into her pillow. Shego closed the door behind her and rushed over to the bed, her heart aching with every step as gently rubbed Kim's back. Instead of relaxing, however, Kim's back stiffened beneath her hand.

"Kimmie, what is it?" Shego asked. "What's wrong?"

For a moment, Kim didn't answer. Finally, she rolled over and trained her red-rimmed eyes on Shego's face. "Just tell me what I did. Please. Tell me what I did to make everyone abandon me..."

Shego's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"You, Ron, Monique, all of you. You've changed. It must have been something I did, so please just tell and I'll fix whatever made you all hate me..." Her expression crumbled, and she buried her face in her hands.

"Oh, Kimmie," Shego whispered. She reached out and drew Kim into her lap. At first, Kim resisted, but then she all but collapsed into Shego's arms, her sobs muffled against Shego's shoulder. Shego merely rocked Kim back and forth like a child, occasionally stroking her hair or pressing a tender kiss to her forehead.

"We don't hate you, Kimmie," Shego murmured after Kim had calmed down. "That's not it at all."

"Then what is it?" Kim asked desperately.

"It's something all three of us have to explain together. But none of us hates you, I promise." Shego gave Kim one last kiss on the nose before setting her on the bed and grabbing the phone. She punched in Monique's number with more force than was necessary.

Kim watched Shego's shoulders tense up, and realized she was quickly growing angrier by the second. 'Is she really that upset because I was crying?' she asked herself.

"Monique, it's me. We need to talk. All four of us." Shego paused, and then snarled into the phone, "You tell that little coward we've waited too long as it is. We've got Kimmie thinking we hate her."

Even from where she was sitting, Kim thought she heard a gasp.

"Yeah, I thought so. We'll be over in a few." Shego hung up and turned to Kim. "Okay, princess, let's go." She started to turn away, but Kim suddenly seized her face and kissed her passionately.

"I missed you," Kim said quietly as she pulled away, her eyes shining with relief.

Shego smiled at her, but it didn't quite reach her eyes as she pulled Kim to her feet. "C'mon. The sooner we get this thing cleared up, the better."

* * *

Monique wasn't quite sure what to do when she finally saw Shego and Kim. It seemed that she'd gone over the apology in her mind millions of times, but now, when she needed them most, each practiced word had vanished. But as she took in the somewhat fearful expression on Kim's face, Monique knew there was only one thing she could say.

"Kim, I'm so sorry," Monique said quietly, gently taking Kim's hands in her own. "I never meant to make you feel this way. If I'd known what we were doing to you, I never would've-"

Kim cut off her apology with a fierce embrace, her eyes threatening to tear up again. "Forget it. Just promise me you'll never do it again."

"Sure. Pinky swear and everything," Monique agreed softly, stroking her best friend's hair reassuringly. She noticed Shego frowning, and followed her gaze to see Ron pressed up against the wall, looking as if he would do anything to escape. "Ron? Your turn."

Ron managed to peel himself from the wall, but all the apprehension was still there as Kim turned to him. "Uh...KP, I...um...I'm-" He stopped short as Kim took a step toward him, and actually gasped when she kept coming. But before he could get anything else out, Kim walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek to his. If anything, this only made Ron look more horrified.

"Of course I forgive you, Ron," Kim murmured. "How could I not?" She pulled back enough to brush her lips against his cheek, which instantly turned dark red as Ron backed into the wall without even realizing it.

"I think I can explain this best," Monique offered, trying to draw attention away from Ron. She gestured for Kim and Shego to sit on her bed, before taking Ron by the hand and gently tugging him over to a chair. He sat, still shaking slightly, but did not release his grip on her hand. Monique didn't have the heart to make him, but she noticed Shego's glare trained on their joined hands and tried to ignore it. Kim, at least, looked relaxed, for however long that lasted.

"Kim, when you started showing interest in Shego beyond battling to the death, Ron and I were concerned. We thought you might be making a big mistake. But I'm glad to see we were wrong."

Kim nodded, but didn't say anything.

"On the other hand, we also had to accept the very real possibility that you might spend the rest of your life with Shego and be perfectly happy. It...wasn't easy."

"You mean...that's why you've been avoiding me? Because we made you uncomfortable?" Kim asked.

Monique shook her head. "No, Kim. We've come to terms with that, for the most part. The thing is, Ron and I both felt like we were losing you, in a way. It might be because it's Shego, or because it's another woman, or because we know if Shego really wanted to, she could just take off with you one night, and we'd never see you again. But we're still supposed to trust her, and it's hard with all the power she has over her life. Don't get me wrong, we know she'd never mistreat you, and that you would never let her. We were just so afraid of losing you that we started doing things to drive you away without realizing it."

Kim frowned. "I still don't understand. Why didn't you just say something?"

"It wasn't that easy." Monique paused and took a deep breath. "Kim, Ron and I both love you very much, so never doubt that. Only...we both love you a little more than is probably healthy or wise."

Kim's jaw dropped, but she could not think of any way to reply to that, so she didn't.

"It was easiest for me. We've always been close, you and I, but I just couldn't think of you as a sister. It didn't seem right to me. I think maybe this is why. Seeing you with Shego made me finally recognize my feelings for what they truly were. At first, I was happy for you two, but then I found that I was also jealous. I didn't know why at first, until I started questioning my own dating preference."

"And...Ron, too?" Kim asked quietly, trying to meet his eyes and failing when he looked down.

Monique nodded. "Ron had the worst time of us both. But I think that's because he's known exactly what his feelings were for so much longer than I did, and because he was so much closer to you. I'm not sure I could've spent that much time with you and not told you how I felt, Kim. I have no idea how he managed it until he told me, either."

"So you two have been confiding in each other, not dating," Kim guessed with some relief.

Monique faltered a bit. "It's a little more complicated than that, Kim."

Kim looked surprised that her guess had been wrong. "It is? How?"

"Well, like I told Shego, Ron and I aren't dating. Never have, never will. But that's because we sort of skipped dating altogether."

Kim seemed as if she didn't want to ask, but had to. "Skipped it how?"

Monique bit her lip. "We both understood going into this that dating wasn't a good idea. We'd spent enough time together to know what it would've been like, and neither of us really wanted or needed any of the awk-weird issues it would bring up." She stopped, and then plowed ahead suddenly so as to lessen the blow. Not that it helped in the least.

"So we skipped dating completely and went straight to having sex."

Kim's hand instantly shot out for Shego's, and interestingly enough, the color drained out of her face until she was nearly as pale as Shego. Shego's skin seemed to have brightened a few shades, as if her entire body were trying to blush.

"You...you're...having sex," Kim said slowly. "The two of you."

Monique nodded, but Ron still wouldn't look up.

"I don't...I can't...why would you DO that?" Her eyes moved to Monique. "And what happened to these feelings you said you had for me?"

"They're still there, just like Ron's are," Monique pointed out, making Kim go red in the face. "But we chose to suppress them in the interest of allowing you and Shego to be happy. If we'd told you, it only would've put unneeded stress on your relationship, and we knew it would be hard enough on you. At the same time, we couldn't just bottle up these feelings and pretend nothing ever happened. We needed to vent somehow. And when I saw that Ron was having much the same problem as I was, I wanted to help him. I suggested we just talk to comfort each other. But like I said, we were doing that as friends, so nothing changed. We were frustrated because of what expressing our feelings for you would do our friendship with you, Kim. We needed a way to let them out without risking it. And...we found it."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying that both of you...you picture me...when you...?"

Monique had the decency to look a bit guilty. "Sometimes, yes. But for me, at least, there are times when I know exactly who I'm with, and it doesn't bother me at all. I know Ron doesn't love me that way, because I feel exactly the same as he does. It's more a means to an end...a way to admit our feelings for you without really telling you or driving us both insane. But neither of us could help feeling guilty around you, so I guess we tried to distance ourselves as best we could."

A thought suddenly occurred to Kim, and she turned to Shego. "You knew." It wasn't a question.

"I walked in on them, that night when I went looking for him," Shego admitted. "I didn't know what to do. I wanted to tell you, but I knew it would hurt you, Kimmie. Monique convinced me that it should only come from them, not me, even if it meant keeping this from you. But when I saw you crying, I had to do something. I can't stand watching you cry." She squeezed Kim's hand. "I'm sorry, Kimmie. I should have just told you from the start."

But Kim shook her head. "No. Monique was right. If you'd told me, I might not have believed it. Looking at them now, I still almost don't."

"Can you ever forgive us, Kim?" Monique asked. "We were wrong, and we're sorry we kept this from you, but we did it to protect you, and ourselves."

Kim smirked. "Well, I guess I was right all along. In a way, this IS all my fault. People just keep falling in love with me." She smiled at Monique, but Ron still wouldn't meet her eyes. "And if...sex is what keeps you two sane and close to me, I'll just have to get used to it. It's not like you're hurting anything."

"And you're not mad at Shego for keeping our secret, are you?" Monique added.

"I can hardly get mad at her for helping you two. I did ask her to be civil, and she promised to try." Kim smiled and laid her head on Shego's shoulder. "I'd say she's definitely been a good girl."

Shego looked distinctly uncomfortable at being called that, but Monique saved her from any further embarrassment. "You know, all this confessing has given me a major case of the munchies. Help me round up some snacks, Kim?"

"Sure." Kim lightly kissed Shego's cheek and stood up. She touched Ron's shoulder as she passed him, but even that didn't seem to get a rise out of him.

Shego waited until the girls had gone before closing the door and walking over to Ron. "So I see you two decided not to tell her about the last part."

Ron looked away. "Monique thought it was for the best, and that she didn't need to know."

"Or she cares too much about you to see you squirm anymore." Shego sighed and squatted next to his chair. "Look, Sto-um, Ron. I'm sorry you got the short end of the stick, really I am. But I can't apologize for taking what I wanted. That's the way I am, and that's what got me Kimmie in the end. Maybe if you were more like that, you'd have her instead. But the fact is I don't let anything go without a fight, and neither does Kimmie. You ever get hit by a comet and miraculously survive, gimme a call and we'll talk about it, maybe. Otherwise, the favors end here."

"You got KP fair and square," Ron sighed. "I guess that's what I hated the most. You didn't cheat or anything, like I would've expected. You just told her how you felt, saved her life. That was all it took. If only I wasn't too chicken to do the other half."

"Well, don't be too stupid to miss what's right in your face," Shego replied. "Monique says she doesn't love you, but I say she's lying again."

Ron blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on! She lets you confide in her. She comforts you when you're bawling like a baby. She'll hold your hand in public, no questions asked. Hell, she even lets you bang her brains out! What more do you need, Ron? Either she's truly madly for you and waiting for you to see it, or she's trying to baby you and somehow ended up with the worst case of Oedipus complex I've ever seen."

"Wow," Ron said softly. "...I never knew you went to school."

"Yeah? You're still IN school, and who gets paid megabucks to do what they're best at, huh?"

"Point taken." Ron lifted his gaze to hers. "Both of them."

"Good boy." Shego ruffled his hair and stood up. "One thing, though."

"Yeah?"

Shego stuck a glowing, green fist in his face. "You hurt her, Kimmie's best friend count decreases by one, and my body count goes up by one. We understand each other, Stoppable?"

Normally, Ron might have pointed out that Kim would never allow that. But considering he wasn't feeling especially close to her at the moment, that little tidbit escaped him. "Yes, sir."

Shego smirked and lowered her hand. Her expression softened. "So, tell me something. Exactly how long have you been hoping that Kim would be your first?"

Ron turned dark red and looked at the floor. "Too long. Doesn't matter anymore, anyway."

"I bet you wanted your first time to be with your dream girl. Wanted it to be just perfect, right? Something you'd remember fondly for the rest of your life?"

Ron nodded.

Shego lowered her head to whisper in his ear. "Here's a thought, genius: who says it wasn't?"

He froze and slowly turned to look at her. But Shego only grinned and walked out of the room.

"If that ain't a good deed for the day, I just don't know what is," she said to herself with a smile.

* * *

"Well, that went better than I thought it would," Shego commented as she activated the hovercraft's camouflage option by remote.

"I guess I'm really losing my touch if I didn't notice my two best friends were in a relationship of their own," Kim noted.

"Nah, I have been keeping you pretty busy," Shego admitted. "And I noticed it, so that's just as good as you noticing."

"Not really. You didn't tell me."

"Doesn't matter. I knew for both of us."

"I don't think that counts," Kim argued lightly.

"Does," Shego answered, hugging Kim from behind and nuzzling her neck.

"You can't keep doing that whenever we disagree," Kim complained, even as she leaned back. "It's not fair."

"Seems fair to me," Shego disagreed.

"That's only because you always win."

"Anytime you want to win, you only have to do the same thing to me."

"But I have morals. I would never manipulate you that way, Shego."

"Then I hope you don't mind losing too much, since you'll be doing a lot of it."

"What happened to give and take? Compromising? Sacrifices?"

"Never heard of them," Shego replied firmly, opening the back door.

"Shego, that's not-"

"Kimberly Anne Possible!" Mr. Dr. Possible's voice thundered through the house.

Shego and Kim froze.

"Think we should run?" Shego asked.

"We'd never make it," Kim sighed. "We might as well get it over with, since today's theme is getting secrets out in the open." She took Shego's hand and dragged her to the den, where the Doctors Possible were seated on the couch.

"Have a seat, you two," Mrs. Possible invited in a tone that was both pleasant and insistent at the same time.

"If this is about the broccoli that mysteriously exploded yesterday," Shego began, "I had nothing to do with it."

"Oh, the culprits of that particular crime were already apprehended," Mr. Possible assured her. "In fact, they were caught with some...interesting reading material."

"What, girly mags?" Shego asked, laughter in her tone.

"Not the kind we expected, actually." Mrs. Possible picked up a magazine. "They swore up and down that their interest in reading 'Lesbian Life: The Number One Magazine for Lesbians Worldwide' was purely educational."

The smile dropped off of Shego's face in a heartbeat.

"Sorry, Kim!" two simultaneous voices shouted down the stairs.

"Boys, need I remind you that you're grounded?" Mr. Possible called.

There was a rush of footsteps overhead, followed by a door slamming.

"Mom...Dad...before you jump to any conclusions," Kim said slowly, "Shego and I aren't...well, we are, but we haven't...that is..."

"We haven't actually had sex," Shego supplied, rolling her eyes, "so technically, we haven't done anything wrong, exactly."

Mr. Possible leaned forward. "Kimmie cub, I realize that all our rules about you dating applied only to boys, but that's because we never imagined you might...be dating girls. But now that you apparently are, the same rules apply. As such, we expect to be notified of any and all future dates, no matter who they might be with."

"We haven't actually been on any official dates, either," Kim pointed out, trading looks with Shego.

"Then you wouldn't mind accompanying Dr. Harrison's son to his school dance next week?" Mrs. Possible asked.

"The HELL she will," Shego growled, even as Kim tried to shush her.

"So you ARE in a romantic relationship, even if you haven't found time to date?" Mrs. Possible asked innocently.

"Yes!" Kim admitted, pulling Shego back down into her seat. "Yes, we are. I...I know I should've told you from the start-"

"You certainly should have," Mr. Possible interrupted with a frown.

"-but I was afraid of how you'd react. I never said I wasn't involved with Shego, so it's not as if I lied!"

"You also failed to mention that your sleeping together wasn't as innocent as you made it out to be," Mrs. Possible added.

Kim blinked. "Oh. That. Okay, THAT wasn't entirely true, but I did need to be with Shego! I still do."

"Do you have anything to add to this, Shego?" Mr. Possible wondered aloud.

"Nope," Shego answered, crossing her arms over her chest. "You can say whatever you want, so long as it's understood that I won't stop seeing Kimmie under any circumstances. You try to pull that 'so long as you live under this roof' stuff, and I'll just move out."

"Hey!" Kim protested, but Shego silenced her with a look.

"Let's just be honest with each other. You can only control Kimmie, and you know that being with me makes her happy. In fact, the only reason we're still here is because she has this idea in her head that she'd miss you too much if we took off for parts unknown. So as you can see, I haven't completely corrupted her yet."

"Shego!" Kim hissed, grabbing her arm.

"In that case, I think there's only one thing that needs to be settled." Mr. Possible cleared his throat. "Shego, what are your intentions for my daughter?"

"To treat her like a slightly less expensive version of a princess, short of forcefully taking over an area for her to rule," Shego responded. Kim muttered something in her ear, and she grinned. "Also to keep her away from any boys that might deflower her."

"SHEGO!" Kim cried, covering her face with her hands.

"What? Just saying 'dishonor' wasn't clear enough! This way you know exactly what it means!"

Mrs. Possible lightly cleared her throat. "We were referring more to the idea of you two being formally recognized as a couple."

Shego shook her head. "We thought we'd wait. Kimmie IS in high school, and I AM a teacher of sorts. People talk."

"You're not at all concerned about anyone guessing the true nature of your relationship?"

"Like Kimmie said, we're not dating. And no one at school would ever guess that we even liked each other."

"She has a point," Kim agreed. "NO ONE could like Sheila Gonzalez."

"Oh, that's it. DOUBLE Catwalks tomorrow, missy!"

"Shego! You said we wouldn't mix home life and school life!"

"Yeah, and we won't! I'll just have you suspended so you won't HAVE a school life!"

The Doctors Possible looked on in amusement as Kim and Shego continued arguing.

"Did we ever fight like that?" Mr. Possible asked his wife.

"Yes, dear. Only we never got physical." Mrs. Possible winced. "And our language was certainly much cleaner."

"She could be a bad influence on the twins," he added.

"Honestly, hon, I'm more worried about them influencing her. Those broccoli stains still won't come out of the ceiling..."

* * *

"I don't know, I just found this box when I got home today," Tara said, poking at the aforementioned package. "It's from the Upperton Medical Laboratory."

Bonnie shrugged. "So open it already."

"But I don't know anyone in Upperton. And definitely no one in a medical lab. What if-"

"Here, I'll do it," Bonnie volunteered, ripping the box open.

Tara sighed. "Or we could do that."

Bonnie thrust two sealed envelopes into Tara's hand and continued digging through the box's contents. "Read those."

Tara opened the smaller envelope first. "Dear Tara, Kim told me you'd been having some trouble with your arm. Here's a little device that will hopefully help you along the road to recovery. Best wishes, Wade." She frowned thoughtfully. "Do we know a Wade?"

It took Bonnie a moment, but she frowned as well, and not in a thoughtful way. "No. No, we most definitely do not."

"Hmm. Weird." Tara opened the next envelope. "Dear Ms. Tara King, We of the Research and Development Group at the Upperton Medical Laboratory were recently made aware of your unfortunate accident. We extend our sincerest concerns, and hope this notice finds you well. It is our hope that this latest product of ours will be of some use to you. While it is experimental in nature, we have the highest confidence that it will drastically increase the speed of your recovery. Instructions are included, and should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at our toll-free number listed below. Sincerely, Dr. Charles P. Fantis." Tara looked confused. "So what did they send me?"

"Looks like a cast," Bonnie observed. "An ugly one at that."

"How could a cast be 'experimental in nature,' Bonnie?"

"Oh, look. It's a robotic cast."

"A WHAT?"

"No, wait. Cybernetic. C.A.S.T: Cybernetic Appendage Strengthening Technology. Here's some instructions." Bonnie handed Tara a folded sheet of paper and dove back into the box.

"C.A.S.T. User's Manual. The C.A.S.T. is designed to provide maximum support for your sprained/broken limb, utilizing the best in protection, comfort, and slight sonic vibrations to make your recovery time all the more pleasant. Note that the C.A.S.T. automatically adjusts the first time you use it, and its enhanced memory will store your measurements, expanding on these specifications when a mode change is desired. The C.A.S.T. has three different modes: Action Mode, Daily Mode, and Sleep Mode. Action Mode is for when you plan to do any strenuous activity that might normally have negative impact on your recovering limb. Merely activate Action Mode by pressing 'A' on the C.A.S.T.'s keypad. The C.A.S.T. will then provide maximum thickness and comfort for the duration of your activity. When done, simply switch back to Daily Mode, and the C.A.S.T. will adjust accordingly. Daily Mode is designed to support your limb while moving about and doing day-to-day tasks. Daily Mode is activated by pressing 'D' on the keypad. This is also the default mode for when you choose to end any other mode. Sleep Mode is activated by pressing 'S' on the keypad, or when the C.A.S.T. detects that you have either fallen asleep or stopped moving for an extended period of time (default is one hour, but this can be adjusted). Sleep Mode is designed to support your limb while you remain largely unmoving. Should you make any major movements or wake up, however, the C.A.S.T. will switch back to Daily Mode. The C.A.S.T. also has individual controls for thickness, comfort, and vibration levels that can be accessed at any time. Keep in mind, however, that the C.A.S.T. compensates automatically for any unexpected shocks or impacts, always with the safety of your limb as top priority. Currently, the C.A.S.T. only switches between three colors: Midnight Black, Pearl White, and Tara Gold." Tara paused and looked at Bonnie. "'Tara Gold?'"

"It does seem to match your hair," Bonnie replied, holding up the C.A.S.T. "Exactly, in fact."

* * *

Kim groaned as a familiar beeping woke her up. She grabbed the Kimmunicator from the nightstand. "Wade, this better be good."

"Sorry, Kim. Shego asked me to contact her when...certain events were met. Is she there?"

Kim blinked, suddenly fully awake. "Yeah..." She rolled over and nudged Shego with her elbow.

"Mmm." Shego grunted and rolled on top of Kim.

"Hey! Shego!" Kim couldn't help laughing as Shego's lips descended on her neck. "Even asleep, she's impossible! Shego, get off!"

"Huh. What?" Shego asked sleepily.

"Wade wants to talk you?" Kim asked with a pointed look.

"Oh." Shego snatched the Kimmunicator from her. "What?"

"The package has been received," Wade replied.

"Uh huh. Don't EVER call this late again...unless you enjoyed what you just witnessed."

Wade grinned. "I won't be plucking out my eyes, if that's what you mean. I'd say good night, but...well, seems like you're halfway there as it is." He cut the connection.

"Little smartass," Shego muttered.

"What was that about?" Kim demanded.

"No idea what you mean," Shego answered, going for Kim's neck again.

"Oooooh...Shego, no!" Kim pulled away. "I'm serious. No more secrets, excluding birthdays and holidays. So talk."

Shego rolled her eyes. "You remember that Felix kid."

"You mean my unfortunate friend you tried to steal a wheelchair from?"

"Hey, that 'wheelchair' had more military applications than some tanks I've seen," Shego said defensively. "Anyway, I had Wade call up his mother, who in turn contacted some people she knew in Upperton. Said people might have sent a little care package to Tara. Of course I had to pretend I was you calling in a favor."

"I imagine Felix's mom wouldn't be so quick to help someone who tried to hotwire her son's wheelchair."

Shego glared at her. "Now you've gone and killed the mood. Hope you like sleeping without me breathing down your neck."

Kim pouted. "Oh, come on. You're going to make us both suffer because of a mere observation?"

Shego considered that for a moment. "Must have gone nuts for a second. People in love really are crazy." She dragged Kim back to her and closed her eyes.

Before they could get comfortable, however, the Kimmunicator beeped again.

Kim grabbed it. "Wade, what did we just-"

"Urgent, Kim. Got a hit on the site. It's Drakken."

"He's gone bad again?" Kim asked.

"No, actually. He's the one who visited the site. He has it on good authority that Professor Dementor is planning a jail break tonight. And he'll be looking for you two. Thought you should know."

"...thanks, Wade." Kim switched the Kimmunicator off and looked at Shego. "So you weren't kidding when you mentioned melting someone's face off."

Shego shook her head. "I don't joke about things like that, Kimmie."

"But you know he didn't actually hurt me, exactly."

"You were soiling yourself for three days, and it made you easy prey for Monkey Fist, who almost turned you and Mom into monkeys."

"But you did this BEFORE Monkey Fist."

"Yeah, well...I was pissed."

Kim's expression softened. "Shego?"

"What?" Shego asked warily.

"I love you, too."

"Killing the mood, Kimmie."

"I am not!"

"Are, too. You can't mention love when I'm trying to be all about lust."

"Okay. Then let's make a deal. You get back into the mood, and I won't point out how what you did for Tara is only something a very NICE person would do."

Shego glared at her. "You were never this sneaky before."

"I wasn't cuddling with pure evil before," Kim countered, leaning in to leave a trail of kisses along Shego's chin.

"Flatterer," Shego muttered, a dreamy grin plastered across her face.

* * *

Next Chapter: Monique has one more confession to make, Dementor strikes, and Tara finds an unconventional use for her C.A.S.T.

Reviews!

gargoylesama  
Well, Let's take this review non-linearly. Starting at Shego's talk with Monique. Monique truly may not be lying. She and Ron could just have the friends with benefits package. Monique knows that any relationship that Ron gets into right now is probably doomed to failure, but that doesn't mean that the two of them can't have 'fun'.  
On Bonnie and Tara, is Bonnie truly doing this for Tara, or is she doing it for her own means. The special dispensation to keep mouthing off about Kim could be high incentive indeed.  
Onto Shego (Sheila) and Kim, there is definitely some issues that will probably come up in the long run with their relationship. Sheila is very controlling. Kim is used to being able to do her own thing. Ron even puts that in. Even when she is in major crush mode about someone she still had him firmly in the loop; we won't bring up the closet incident. This could be a major set-back in the future, how far? I don't know.  
Wonderful pacing with the story.

_Why do you people insist on giving away my plot points in reviews? Am I really that transparent? _

_Monique and Ron have an understanding...at least, they thought they did. That will change soon. Making the 'friends with benefits' package work can be difficult. And it's Shego's talk with Ron that you should be worrying about._

_Bonnie's reasons are her own. But she could be a whole lot meaner to Tara. That she isn't, is probably worth noticing. Especially considering that Tara appears to be friends with both Kim and Bonnie, unless it was just the mass O Boys hysteria that brought her to Kim's house the one time._

_Kim tends to think of Sheila and Shego as separate people, and they have an agreement not to mix the two. Of course, Shego doesn't always hold to that agreement. But Kim has come to expect a certain amount of teasing, possessiveness, and unfairness, since again, this is Shego. How long she puts up with it is her call._

* * *

Neko  
This story is great! Keep it up! Plz update soon. kim/shegokawaii!

_I have little doubt that Shego would probably be thoroughly offended by such a statement, especially since it's true. But that'll just be our little secret…_


	4. Delightful Dementia

Warning: The language gets a bit un-Disney, just so you know. But it's all done in fun. And anger, in Shego's case.

Chapter 4: Delightful Dementia

There were a number of things Shego was not accustomed to waking up to, and breakfast in bed was definitely one of them. That, however, was what she got the next morning.

Upon opening her eyes, she found a banner stretched across the length of Kim's bedroom, which bore the words, "We're Sorry!" Under said banner were Jim and Tim Possible, each bearing a tray loaded with food, and wearing identical (and slightly creepy, in Shego's opinion) tooth-filled smiles.

Shego's first instinct was to scream, but she suppressed it rather admirably. Instead, she poked Kim awake and declared, "We have a pest problem." She gestured to the boys, hoping Kim would at least yell and send them away (minus the food).

So of course Kim chose this one time to be oddly touched and amazingly forgiving. She did at least hug the twins, which apparently scared them more than anything else she could've done.

Even more strange was the fact that the twins were under the impression that Shego might be leaving...and they didn't want her to, as they demonstrated by latching onto her legs the instant she got out of bed.

"You can't leave us here with her!" Jim pleaded, pointing at Kim. "She's only tolerable when she's been sucking face with you!"

Kim almost throttled him for that remark, but when Shego pointed out that Kim was always in a better mood after they'd kissed, the matter was quickly dropped.

"And who's going to test our new plasma weapons if you leave?" Tim demanded. "Do you know how hard it is to get a constant, reliable source of plasma when you're under 21?"

Shego finally got them to let go, but only with assurances that when and if she kidnapped Kim, she would first drop the boys off in one of Dr. Drakken's old hideouts, where there would be plenty of destructive toys to play with.

"You're supposed to reformed now," Kim pointed out, "not introducing new criminal geniuses to an unsuspecting underworld."

"You say that now, Kimmie. But in ten years, when they're running half the planet and sending enormous checks to Auntie Shego, then you'll want to say it was your idea. And I'll be there to laugh, point the finger, and say I told you so."

* * *

Kim had decided, and Wade had agreed, that Shego should stay at home until it was time for practice. If they were together, they might be too tempting a target for Professor Dementor, and someone at school could get hurt. They were banking on the idea that Dementor didn't know where Shego was currently residing, and that he'd wait until Kim was alone (or at least only with Ron) to strike.

Shego had reluctantly agreed to stay home that day, but only after several kisses from Kim and a promise that she would be called every other hour by Wade to be assured of Kim's safety.

So Kim walked to school with Ron and Monique, who were decidedly much more comfortable around her. Ron was his old, talkative self, and was able to meet Kim's eyes as he always had before. Monique sometimes trailed off in the middle of a sentence, but Kim recognized that every time she'd done so, she'd been staring at Ron, who seemed embarrassingly aware of the attention. Kim refrained from commenting, but she couldn't help the smile that came to her face, knowing that her two best friends had, if not fallen in love, then at least found comfort in each other...even if it was mostly physical in nature.

Not that Kim wouldn't grill Monique for all the juicy details on her sex life the first chance she got, but that could wait. At least until Dementor was taken care of, she decided.

* * *

"Still no news on Professor Dementor?" Kim asked for the third time, exchanging some books in her locker.

"Well, he did just break out," Wade reasoned from the computer. "Maybe he's had time to cool down and realize he needs to keep a low profile."

"Shego melted his face, Wade. I don't think he's in a forgive and forget kind of mood."

"How very true," said an amplified, tinny voice behind her.

Kim barely had time to turn around as her locker exploded, tossing her straight into the arms of Professor Dementor.

"You will forgive me for being so...brutish," the mad scientist offered by way of apology. "Even after all of our encounters, I bear you no ill will, Kim Possible. But now, I think, it has become necessary to make an example of someone."

"Lucky me," Kim grunted, struggling helplessly in his arms. Prison had definitely been kind to Dementor, because she couldn't recall his muscles (if he'd ever had them) being so defined, or so unwilling to budge. But then, he'd also changed his old helmet: it was longer now, and covered his face entirely, save for two openings that exposed his bloodshot eyes.

"There are some things that even you cannot turn back. My vengeance is one of them." Professor Dementor increased the crushing pressure on her arms. "If you happen to see Shego...or anything at all, when I'm done with you...please let her know that this was merely a warning."

Kim winced as she took a deep breath. "If it's Shego you want, why come after me?" She watched his expression carefully, but could see no change in it as he answered.

"Whether you realize it or not, Shego has a great deal of grudging respect for you. So much, in fact, that she was willing to take my face to prove a point: that you are hers to destroy. Your downfall is something I have long wanted to witness, but not at such a cost to myself. The experience has left me...bitter."

"I still don't see why you're here if it's Shego you have issues with."

Professor Dementor chuckled softly. "Shego has taken something from me that I can never get back: my dignity. I will take away the one thing she treasures more than anything else. I will break you, and leave you as I did before: a helpless child. I can assure you that the effects will be much more traumatic this time, and quite permanent. And when I am done with you, Shego will be left with the sad truth. There will be no more Kim Possible for her to defeat; only a terrified child that is no longer willing to meet her in glorious battle. I will take Shego's dream from her, and leave her without purpose. That is my revenge, and why I must do this."

"Or," Kim suggested, "you could just do the obvious thing and go after Shego directly, like she did with you."

"I do not expect you to comprehend my reasoning." His eyes narrowed. "But I do expect you to suffer. In fact, I demand it."

Kim was sure he was going to crush, or at least break her arms and ribs. She was more than a bit startled when a long, loose strand of her red hair suddenly caught fire.

"Would you prefer it quickly, or slowly?" Dementor asked. "I promise it will be excruciating either way."

Fortunately, Kim didn't have to answer. There was a sickening crack, and the mad scientist's grip loosened as he collapsed to the floor, leaving Kim staring down at back of his cracked helmet.

"If this is what you have to go through every week, you should at least be getting college credit for it."

Kim blinked and looked up to see Tara King standing over Professor Dementor's unconscious body, brandishing her bright yellow cast as if it were some sort of club. She hadn't even bothered to take it off of her arm.

"Didn't that...hurt?" Kim asked after a moment.

"Nope." Tara's face split into a bright grin. "Actually, that's why I came looking for you. I wanted to thank you for whoever you talked into letting me try this out," she explained, waving the cast a bit. "It's got thickness settings and everything! So when I saw this creep bear hugging you, I just put it on the highest setting and...well, you know." Tara made a clubbing motion with her arm. "Didn't even feel it, really. I guess that's what it feels like to be you, huh?"

"No," Kim said firmly, licking her fingers and making sure her hair was completely out, "I would definitely feel that in the morning. I just make it look like easy."

"Oh," Tara murmured, deflating a bit. "So...what do we do with him?" she asked, nudging Dementor with the toe of her shoe.

Kim pulled her Kimmunicator out of her pocket. "Sorry about the interruption, Wade, but Dementor came to play. We're going to need transport for him...definitely something fireproof...oh, and I'll need a new locker at some point." She glanced at the ruins of her locker and pouted. "Not to mention a new mug shot of Shego..."

Tara peered over Kim's shoulder at the Kimmunicator. "Hi, Wade! I got your note!"

Wade stared back at her uncertainly. "Um...that's great, Tara. Kim, did you just say-"

"Yeah. Shouldn't you be calling...um...home, and telling them I'm okay?" Kim suggested, giving him a look.

"Will do." Wade lowered his voice. "Why is Tara there?"

"Well, she saved my life. Her and her miracle cast."

"You mean the C.A.S.T.?" Wade and Tara asked at once, before trading odd looks.

"...I'm sure that's an interesting story best saved for later," Kim replied.

"Right. Transport should be there in five minutes."

"You rock, Wade." Kim put the Kimmunicator away and turned to Tara. "This is going to sound really harsh, but-"

"I know," Tara interrupted. "Saving your life doesn't excuse me from practice today. I figured as much."

"But if your arm's bothering you, I could try to-"

Tara shook her head. "I told you, didn't feel a thing. Anyway, I need the practice. Bonnie doesn't want me to get pudgy. Incidentally, you probably shouldn't mention this to her. I'm not sure how she'd react if she found out I saved you."

"I can take a stab in the dark," Kim laughed. "Tara...thanks. Really."

"You and Ron have done it for me, and will do it again at some point. It's the least I could do. You weren't even on duty this time."

"I wish someone would tell them that," Kim sighed, nodding at Dementor.

* * *

"Back up, nerdlinger. Dementor TOLD her all that? I'm pretty sure he didn't have a mouth when I got done. Or at least not a fully functional one."

Mrs. Possible frowned across the table at Shego, who only looked mildly apologetic as Wade responded through the Kimmunicator in her hand.

"There was some kind of amplifier in his helmet. Probably linked straight to his brain so he could broadcast his thoughts. I didn't really have time to look into it. Kim needs a bunch of things replaced by tomorrow. Which reminds me, got any pictures of you lying around? Kim's old one got fried in the attack."

"I don't really keep pictures," Shego muttered. "Don't you have some surveillance photos?"

"Well, yeah," Wade admitted. "Tons. But I thought you'd want her to have something more personal. You know, nude sunbathing or something."

Shego's eyes narrowed. "How-"

"Like I said, tons. Anyway, I assumed you'd want to pick one out before I did. Unless you think she's ready for the sun-"

"I'll think about it," Shego snapped, cutting the connection with a growl. "Damn little smarty-"

"Did I hear you say you don't have any personal photos?" Mrs. Possible interrupted.

"Can't afford to keep any. Or to get close enough to anyone where I would want to have a picture."

"Honestly, Shego, I think it's a little late. Today the boys asked me what size you were."

Shego looked a little worried, and then suspicious. "What did you say?"

"I didn't know, so I had to ask Kimmie. She did know. Which only proves you're already too close. I doubt one picture could make your relationship with Kimmie that obvious." She paused. "Unless it was a nude sunbathing one."

Shego thumped her head on the table. "Gonna kill that nerd."

"I'd like to think it's not completely Wade's fault. You were Kimmie's arch foe, and someone had to know where you were."

"I was on vacation! As in off duty and not trying to kill Kimmie at the time! He had no right! If he can turn on nude sunbathing whenever he wants, it's no wonder he never leaves his room!"

"I'll be sure and talk to his mother later. Now, about that picture..."

* * *

"Ron, you're not eating. You sick?"

If Ron heard Monique's words, he didn't respond. He merely watched Rufus polish off the rest of his Naco Grande with a blank look on his face.

Monique snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey. HEY!" When there was still no response, she resorted to slightly less visible, but no less effective measures.

Ron jerked in his seat as there was a sudden pressure against his crotch. "YAH!"

"Are you going to talk to me now, or do I have to get rough?" Monique demanded playfully, sitting up straight again.

"I'm talking, I'm talking!" Ron insisted nervously.

"But still not eating, I see. Although it's a little too late now," she observed.

Ron looked down to see Rufus sprawled out on his tray, belly extended and moaning pitifully. "Aw, man..."

"Here." Monique offered him a single corn chip with just enough cheese to mess with him.

Ron reached across the table to take it, but she pulled it out of his reach.

"Bad boy." Monique shook her head. "Open."

Blushing, Ron leaned forward and opened his mouth.

Monique slipped the chip in, purposely brushing her slim fingers against his lips. "So what's on your mind, boo?"

"Something Shego said to me the other day, actually." His eyes strayed downward.

She frowned. "Are you ogling my boobs or the nachos?"

"...well, both, NOW," Ron admitted.

"Better than being totally ignored, I guess." Monique dug out another chip, spilling some cheese on the table as she held it out.

"Hey, if you're gonna waste it, I'll come to you," Ron said firmly, moving over to her side of the booth.

"Good. Makes it easier to reach you if you spaz out again." She fed him the chip. "So, you were saying?"

"Shego basically called you a very good liar."

"So she admires me."

Ron paused. "Maybe. Anyway, I want to talk about that."

Monique looked confused. "What? Her admiring me?"

"No, what she's admiring you for: the first class lying."

"Ah. Talk away, then."

"Cheese me."

Rolling her eyes, Monique picked out another chip and popped it into his mouth. "I've created a monster."

"No, you just made the mistake of feeding it. Now it's spoiled. But about the lying."

"Mmmhmm."

"You wouldn't...lie to me, would you?" he asked hesitantly.

"I think the real question is, do you think I would?" Monique countered.

Ron bit his lip. "No fair. You can't turn this on me."

"Just did, boo. What you really want to know is, what I would lie to you about, right?"

"So you would lie?" Ron asked, his face falling. "Is it because you don't feel like you have any obligations to me?"

Monique shook her head. "Whoa. Where is this coming from? Who says I don't?"

"Well, do you? I mean, we're not really...exclusive, and-"

Monique's hand shot out, grabbed his collar, and yanked him practically into her lap. "You two-timing me, white boy?" she demanded.

"NO!" he gasped in fear, trying to back away.

"Oh." Monique let go and smoothed out his collar. "No, I never did say we were exclusive. But I never said you could be anybody else's stuff, either."

"Stuff?" Ron asked with a big grin.

"You know what I mean. Don't play with me like that, Ron. I get ethnic on you, not even Shego could save you."

"So let me see if I have this right," Ron said slowly, clearing his throat. "We're not dating...but we're exclusive?"

"Damn right we are," Monique replied at once. "As of right now."

"Okay. So...what does that make us, exactly?"

Monique looked stumped for exactly five seconds. And then, with her usual confidence, she answered, "Fuck buddies."

Ron stared at her. "You're...serious, aren't you?"

She shrugged. "Well, for lack of a better phrase."

"What about friends with benefits?" Ron suggested.

She shook her head. "I don't really care for either them, as they both imply non-exclusiveness." Her eyes narrowed. "And I DON'T want you getting the wrong idea."

"I'm your stuff," Ron said quickly, holding up his hands in surrender. "I'll even wear a sign that says so!"

Monique couldn't help smiling. "So what do you think we are?"

"Um...well." Ron cleared his throat uncertainly. "Lovers?" he asked quietly.

Monique looked thoughtful. "Sounds...romantic. But I guess you're right. That is pretty much what we do, when we do what we do."

"But we're still friends. What about...oh! Lovers squared!"

"As long as you never say that to anyone other than Shego and Kim, fine. Most people would just stare over lovers these days."

"And you wouldn't lie to your lover squared over just anything, would you?"

"Ron, forget the titles. I wouldn't lie to YOU over just anything, period. It would have to be really big."

"So can we both ask a question and get a completely honest answer, just this once? And maybe do this again occasionally when one of us, mainly me, is feeling a tad bit insecure?"

"Sure," Monique agreed, reaching over to pat his knee. "Shoot."

"When you told Kim how we felt about each other, were you being totally honest?"

She stared at him, caught off guard. "You don't think I was?"

"Oh, no. We're not doing that again. Answer the question, please."

"Okay, okay." Monique locked eyes with him. "No."

"You-"

"My turn," she interrupted quickly. "Do you have any regrets about me being your first?"

Ron was equally caught off guard. "No," he finally said. "Have you been-"

"-talking to a little bird in green and black? Yeah."

"I definitely sensed some plasma-coated handiwork in this."

"She was trying to help, I think. Your turn."

"Right." Ron thought about the best way to phrase the question. "When we...um..."

"Do it?" Monique guessed with a grin.

Ron blushed. "Yeah. THAT. How often have you pictured someone other than me?"

"Not as often as you seem to be fearing. Same question."

"Once."

Monique blinked. "Only once?"

Ron shrugged. "You kinda got into my system and took over all my fantasies. Like a virus." Noticing the look on her face, he added, "A sexy, Nubian virus! With all the latest fashions and more sex appeal in her pinky than Bonnie has in her whole body!"

"One, I don't EVER want you calling Bonnie sexy in front of me. Two, NEVER compare me to a virus. Three, good save. Four, only once?"

"Like I told you, I'd been wanting it to be Kim for the longest. And then...there was only you. I can't explain it any better. My turn?"

"Yeah," Monique murmured, her voice strangely muffled.

"Would it be at all inappropriate for me to casually drop an 'I love you' and expect immediate reciprocation?"

Instead of answering, Monique lunged at him, throwing her arms around his waist and burying her face in his neck.

"So, is that a no?" he asked uncertainly.

"You stupid, wonderful goofball," Monique whispered softly.

"Hey now, one of those insults didn't get canceled out!"

"How does 'oddly attractive' grab you?"

"Not as good as you do, I have to say," Ron replied, slipping his arms around her waist.

"Dummy." Monique turned his head to her and gave him a full kiss on the lips. "First thing tomorrow, we're going out and getting you that sign that says you're my stuff."

"I think bold lettering is extra."

"Not in tattoos, it's not."

"...well, that's...nice and permanent."

"So?" Monique asked, her eyes narrowing.

Ron gulped. "Just gonna look a little awkward on my forehead is all."

"It'll be on your chest. We'll get you some mesh tops."

"Can Shego be at the tattoo parlor to laugh at my pain? I figure a plasma blast to the gut will hurt slightly less, and I'll need her to remind me of that."

"You either get that tattoo or get us some matching rings. And since I'm employed and you're not, I'm thinking you better just take it like a wimpy man and get the tattoo."

"Does being your stuff mean you get to order me around like this?" Ron asked.

"Nope. But being your Nubian fertility goddess does."

"Aw, man..."

"Silence, mortal! Worship me with thine gi-normous piehole!"

"...is that some kinda secret Nubian code, or-"

"Shut up and kiss me," Monique translated.

Ron did as he was told. "I don't have to sacrifice anything to you, do I?" he asked afterwards.

"I require that you give of yourself."

"Financially?"

Monique smirked, tracing his jaw with her fingers. "Sexually."

"But I'm already doing that."

"Not twice every night and sometimes in the morning, you're not."

"...all kidding aside, I'm not Kim. I can't do anything."

"True, but you'll do this. My word is law, and you're my stuff."

"I'll be your necro-stuff at that rate."

"Would you really want to die any other way?"

"...you said only sometimes in the morning, right?"

"It's negotiable," Monique replied with a smile. "But not too much."

* * *

From the moment Shego picked her up after practice, Kim could sense that something was bothering her. It probably wasn't anything big, but it was enough to change Shego's demeanor, so it was enough for Kim to worry about.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or do I have to drag it out of you?" Kim asked as they stepped into the house.

"In a minute," Shego muttered.

"Okay. So what were you up to all day, in between pestering Wade for info?"

Shego glared at her. "Art project," she grunted.

"Let me guess. Gardening with Mom?"

"No. It was...photography."

"You mean my new picture?" Kim asked excitedly, her face lighting up. "Let me see!"

Shego looked even more uncomfortable. "Promise you won't laugh."

Kim sighed and hugged her. "Shego. I'm inspired to do a lot of things when I look at you, but laughing is nowhere on the list, trust me."

"It's stupid," Shego argued, automatically tucking Kim's head under her chin. "You'll laugh."

"Promise I won't."

"Mom is evil, you know."

"Right. And Drakken is orange."

"She's got you fooled, Kimmie. The woman is a manipulative spy."

"Are we talking about the same Mom?"

"YES." Shego paused for dramatic effect. "Kimmie, she drugged me. She slipped me a mickey! In apple juice!"

Kim smirked. "Sure."

"She DID! I was out for hours!"

"Isn't it just a bit more likely that you worried yourself to sleep over me?"

"Yeah, but that's NOT what happened! I was drugged, and she was the only one here!"

"Okay. Let's say Mom did drug you. For what purpose?"

Shego lowered her head in shame and handed Kim a folder.

"My pictures!" Kim squealed, snatching the folder and whipping it open. She'd been hoping for something subtle but sexy, but if her mother had taken these, maybe that was asking too much. At least they'd be tasteful, if not tasty.

So Kim got the shock of her life when her eyes took in the sight of Shego curled up in her bed like a sleeping cat, her head pillowed on one arm, and tucked just under her chin...

...was Kim's Pandaroo.

"I know she drugged me! I have no memory of any of that!" Shego said forcefully.

Kim didn't answer. She'd never seen Shego look so...vulnerable. Or cute. Slowly, she looked up into Shego's angry face, and then back down at the contented, sleeping one. Finally, she put the picture down, grabbed Shego by the hair, and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Shego's eyes widened in surprise as she pulled away a few seconds later. "The hell?"

"If slipping a mickey is all it takes to make you look like this, you'd better watch your drinks around here from now on," Kim said with a sly smile as she walked away.

"HEY! DAMMIT, KIMMIE, THAT'S NOT FUNNY!"

"SHEGO!" Mr. Possible's voice thundered through the house. "LANGUAGE!"

"Oh. Um...SORRY, POPS!"

"NO YELLING!"

"..." Shego let out a frustrated growl and stomped upstairs to Kim's room.

"NO STOMPING ON THE STAIRS, YOUNG LADY!"

Shego's face twisted in rage as she jerked to a stop, her hands flaring green for a moment. She made it to Kim's room, where she found her significant other facedown on the bed, her face buried in her pillow to keep her giggling quiet. Glaring at her, Shego slammed the door behind her.

"DID I JUST HEAR A DOOR SLAM IN THIS HOUSE?"

Shego ripped the door open and yelled, "DAMN RIGHT YOU DID, POPS!" She slammed the door even harder, prompting another fit of giggles from Kim.

"DO I HAVE TO COME UP THERE?"

"NO! I'LL COME TO YOU!" Shego lunged for the door, but Kim grabbed her around the waist.

"Shego," she gasped between laughs, "no!"

"Get off me, Kimmie! He's MINE!"

"No, I'm yours," Kim insisted. "Remember?"

Shego calmed down only slightly. "Yeah."

"And you would rather stay up here...with me...than fight with Dad, right?" Kim asked, tracing little circles on Shego's stomach.

Shego had to consider that question for some time. "I guess."

"And you'd rather hold me than Pandaroo, right?" Kim asked, her voice trembling with laughter.

Shego whirled on her. "Oh, NOW you're gonna get it," she growled, advancing on Kim.

"You're cute when you're angry," Kim noted before she was picked up and tossed bodily onto the bed.

"NO JUMPING ON THE BED!" came the shout from below.

Shego's eyes blazed, but Kim got her attention by clearing her throat. "I thought I was going to get it a second ago?" she asked innocently.

It took some major effort, but Shego didn't jump her. "No. You'd like that. You need to be punished. So you can cuddle with your damn Pandaroo, because I won't be here tonight."

"And where are you going to sleep?"

"The hovercraft."

"There's no bed," Kim pointed out.

"..." Shego growled and headed for the door.

"You're not really leaving?" Kim asked in surprise.

"I'll find a place," Shego replied, opening the door.

"Shego, wait! Don't-"

SLAM!

"SHEGO!"

"SHOVE IT, POPS!"

* * *

Ron was watching a movie with Monique. Ron liked watching movies with Monique. Because it presented the most fascinating opportunities.

Since he and Monique had skipped dating, he didn't have to worry about making moves unless they were fooling around. She had settled against him at once, dragging his arm around her shoulders. Really, she'd done all the work.

Which left the fun part all for him.

About ten minutes into the movie, Ron's fingers began to casually rub Monique's bare shoulder.

Monique slapped the fingers as if they'd done something wrong...and then settled Ron's whole right hand comfortably on her breast. Then she went back to the movie.

Ron's left hand moved closer, and the fingers began to lightly move across Monique's knee.

Monique grabbed the offending hand and moved it much higher on her leg, dropping it on her thigh. "Ron, you are one sad white boy. You have no moves at all."

"I like it when you make them for me. Helps me save energy for later."

"Point taken. Anything else you were thinking about doing now?"

"Well, I thought I'd-" Ron stopped as Shego climbed in through the window. "Can we HELP you?"

"Gonna crash here. Don't mind me," Shego muttered, heading straight for the bed. Where they were.

This did not bode well, Ron figured.

...or did it? He threw a curious glance at Monique, who was already glaring at him.

"Don't even think about it, white boy."

"Oh, ew," Shego gagged. But she said this as she pulled back the sheets.

"Um, HEY?" Ron asked.

"Hi," Shego answered, climbing into the bed and turning her back on them.

"Does Kim know about this?"

"We had a fight. I'll make her apologize in the morning, and we'll be fine. Don't worry."

"It's not Kim I'm concerned about right now." Ron cleared his throat a few times, drawing Shego's attention. Then he squeezed Monique's breast.

"Oh. Sorry." Shego didn't move, or look even remotely sorry. "Well, if you're gonna do it, turn off the lights and get me some popcorn. And keep the fluids to a minimum."

"Get the woman popcorn, boo," Monique ordered.

"WHAT?" Ron asked in shock.

"I am in the mood. Shego being here doesn't change that. GET THE POPCORN."

"But I can't! Not with her watching!" Ron pleaded.

"Nothing she hasn't seen before," Monique pointed out.

"I could offer some pointers," Shego suggested. "I wasn't always into girls, y'know. I could tell you what you're doing wrong."

"Well, that changes everything." Monique looked at Ron. "Get the popcorn. And grab a pen and paper."

"Aw, man..."

* * *

Next Chapter: Fast forward to a time where things have gone mad. Heroes roam the globe, and we call them...cheerleaders?

Reviews!

Rin Leonhart

Hey, I just wanted to say I love the story so far. I really like how you've managed to go this far and still keep all of them in character. I didn't expect that you would turn 'On Sabbatical' into a series, but I'm really liking it so far. Keep writing! ;)

_I didn't expect it to become a series. Just happened, is all. Happens a lot, actually. People started demanding "Kigo! KIGO!" And the next thing I knew, Kim was in diapers and Ron was a stupidhead. By then I felt it was too late to run and hide, so I just ran with it._

* * *

Rin Melody21

hey this is great! I'm sorry for threatening hehe...it worked didn't it? seriously though all the tender moments between both Kim and Shego are great...loving the interaction...the twist with monique and ron was hilarious...and horrifying! so didn't see it coming...but I guess in a way I did...the Monique loving Kim was great...and how twisted is it for them to screw each other but fantasize about Kim...weird! but all in all very good and intriguing. Dude you gotta update soon! this story is major cool...I was planning on writing a fic myself...but it seems as if I shouldn't coz this story totally rocks! maybe when you've finished ill write up my story.

the love between Shego and Kim is nice to see has strengthened over time...the bit with Shego and showing her nice side with Ron was really sweet as well

Update soon cant wait for more : )

_Trust me when I say I was more afraid of upsetting all the other readers that just one really bossy one. Fear the masses and all that._

_Monique and Ron, scary? Never crossed my mind. Funny, but not scary._

_Kim and Shego are strong people. It's only natural (arguably) that they'd be even stronger together (when they're not grappling)._

_Shego doesn't DO nice. You guys have to pay attention. What if there was a quiz?_

_Shego doesn't like Ron. More than likely she was only doing it for Monique, who she does like. See how it works out good for everyone?_

_There will only be one more chapter after this. No plans for other stories in this series, as I have other KP fics to get out of my head. But don't let me stop you from writing, it's hard enough without other people influencing you. Get it done while you can, if you can._


	5. The Squad Shall Inherit the Earth

Notes: This chapter skips ahead about a year from the last, so don't think you've missed anything.

Chapter 5: The Squad Shall Inherit the Earth

James D. Pewter had been a law-abiding citizen, until the tender age of twenty-five. Then he'd become a henchman for hire, and ended up in the ranks of Dr. Drakken. It had been an okay gig, considering he constantly had his butt handed to him by a girl half his size.

But then things got weird. Drakken went legit, Shego dropped off the face of the planet, and the old gang started pulling odd jobs with little or no leadership. It was touch and go for a while, until James had stepped in with a semblance of organization and order. The goons had quickly rallied around him, and they soon had the makings of a decent goon squad.

All of which had led them to the Middleton First National Bank this fine day in July. They had cased the place for a week, and the robbery was proceeding with little deviation from the plan. Not that James had expected any problems. Despite the fact that this was Kim Possible's hometown, it was well-known that she had retired fresh out of high school. No one in the gang knew why, and really, no one cared, so long as it meant she wouldn't be dropping in on them.

Although it was pretty sweet, knowing they were getting away with this in her old stomping grounds.

James grinned to himself as another of his boys ran past, hauling a sack of cash with him. Crime really did pay, it seemed.

"Hey, Jimmy!" the lookout called from the bank's main entrance. "What'd you say the wheelman was supposed to be driving?"

Jimmy frowned. "Big black van, same as always. Why?"

"I think there's been a change of plans. This monster truck just pulled up, and there's a big guy with-"

"FREEZE!"

Jimmy whipped around, his grip tightening on the double-ended shock staff he'd kept from his days with Drakken. His gaze landed on the safe, which was currently being blocked by a young girl. She had no red hair or green eyes, so Jimmy instantly relaxed.

"Okay, boys. Now, why don't you put all that money back where you found it?" she asked sweetly. "Before I have to get tough on you."

Jimmy barely suppressed the urge to laugh. "Sorry, sweetheart. They only take orders from me, and I say we're going ahead with the plan."

The blonde arched an eyebrow. "Really? Then I guess you're the one I have to make an example of." As she spoke, her wristwatch seemed to melt and flow down her arm, encasing it in a thin, metallic sheen. She flicked her wrist, and Jimmy howled as three tiny darts embedded themselves in his neck. He stumbled into the wall, barely avoiding paralyzing himself with his own shock staff.

"GET 'ER!" Jimmy shouted hoarsely.

The blonde quicky found herself surrounded by a circle of goons, but she didn't seem concerned. Instead, she yawned and studied her nails.

That was when a second girl emerged from the safe, carrying what looked like a short staff with a star on the end of it. The brunette took one look at the scene and declared, "We really shouldn't. They're outnumbered as it is."

"I asked them nicely, and they said no," the blonde pointed out.

"Oh. Well, in that case." The brunette casually flipped her hair, tossing the staff in a fluid motion. In a matter of seconds, it circle the room, slamming into the jaw of each goon. By the time the staff returned to her hand, the men were sprawled out on the floor, moaning in pain.

Jimmy was furious. No way he was getting shut down by two Kim Possible wanna-bes. Though he'd never had cause to use it, he went for the gun on his belt, drawing a bead on the blonde.

Suddenly, there was a loud roar outside, just before the back wall exploded, spraying Jimmy with dust and debris. He just barely dove aside in time as a monster truck came crashing down next to him. Jimmy was still shaking the stars away when a huge, strong hand grabbed the back of his neck and hauled him into the air. He found himself staring down at a bear of a man...with a mullet.

"Dude. Trying to cash in the Righteous Babes is totally lame! Seriously."

Jimmy blinked, just before a huge fist crashed into his face.

* * *

Bonnie Rockwaller growled in frustration as she rapidly brushed the dust from her hair. Somehow, her hair always, ALWAYS got dirty when she was forced to work with that big lummox. She stood up to give him a piece of her mind when she noticed that her partner hadn't been so fortunate.

Tara King hissed softly as she carefully ripped open the tear in her black pants, revealing a small, bloodstained wound just above her ankle. It was probably nothing serious, but first gunshot wounds were always the hardest, Bonnie knew from experience.

She had only taken a step forward when a huge shape lumbered out of the dust cloud still hanging behind Tara. Bonnie's hand flew to her weapon. "Hold it, dirtbag!"

"Chill out, Righteous Babe Number Three. Motor Ed to the rescue!"

Bonnie scowled, tempted to throw her staff at him, anyway. "For future reference, startling a guy with a gun is so NOT a good idea! And do you have to destroy an entire wall every single time we go somewhere?"

By then, though, Motor Ed had noticed Tara's injury. "Hold the phone! Righteous Babe down! MEDIC!"

Before Bonnie could stop him, he scooped up Tara and headed back to his monster truck, scrambling up the enormous tire with uncanny ease. Sighing, she ran to catch up, though it took her a little longer to haul herself into the truck. She was decidedly annoyed to see that Tara was situated in Motor Ed's lap. And she was hardly trying to get out of it, either.

"Strap in, Three!" Motor Ed barked, fishing his keys out of his shirt pocket. He almost had them to the ignition when Bonnie smacked his hand away.

"Hel-lo? You can't drive with her on your lap!" Bonnie snapped. "She needs to keep that leg elevated!"

Tara glared at Bonnie before sighing. "She's right, Eddie." She slid out of his lap, only to squeal in surprise as Bonnie grabbed her good leg and dragged her away from Motor Ed. "Bonnie!"

"I'm keeping it elevated," Bonnie said with a thin smile, placing Tara's ankles in her lap.

Tara pouted, but smiled as she leaned back and rested her head against Motor Ed's muscular arm, earning another scowl from Bonnie. "Whenever you're ready, Eddie."

"You got it, Righteous Babe Number Two! Let's gun it!" Motor Ed started up the truck and jammed his foot on the accelerator.

Bonnie screamed as the truck lurched forward and plowed through the opposite wall, creating a sizeable drive-thru window in the bank. "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU MANIAC!"

"AIIIIIIIIII-YEAH! WE'RE ALL MANIACS, BONNIE-BABE!" Motor Ed shouted over the heavy metal music pounding in their ears.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT! TARA, TELL HIM TO STAY ON THE ROAD!"

"Drive inside the lines, Eddie," Tara reminded him, sounding far too calm and unconcerned for her best friend's liking.

"TARA!" Bonnie screeched.

"What? He's inside the lines!"

"BUT HE'S ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD!"

"There's less traffic. See how everyone swerves out of his way? It's better than being in an ambulance!" Tara beamed and tugged on Motor Ed's arm. "Do the siren, Eddie!"

"NO!" Bonnie wailed, covering her ears.

Motor Ed stuck his head out of the window. "AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-YEAH! MOVE IT OR LOSE IT, DUDES! MEDICAL EMERGENCY TO THE MAX! SERIOUSLY!"

Bonnie yanked out her cell phone and dialed a number. "Shego, you get me out of here this instant! They're doing the siren again!"

"Can't hear you over all the noise, Rockwaller," Shego replied, laughter in her tone. "Think you could speak up?"

"PLEASE HELP ME!"

"Okay, okay. Put the goofball on speakerphone."

"Hey! HEY!" Bonnie shouted over the music. "The boss wants to talk to you two!"

Tara actually looked a little worried, but Motor Ed grinned.

"HEY! Righteous Babe Numero Uno!"

Shego didn't sound quite as amused anymore. "Cool it, Captain Mullet. No more sirens. I think anyone that sees a monster truck, on the wrong side of the road, bearing down on them, will get the message and swerve to avoid being turned into roadkill. King, stop encouraging him, because I know you were."

"We were just having a little fun!" Tara said defensively. "Eddie was trying to cheer me up, since I got shot."

"It's just a graze!" Bonnie insisted hotly.

"You want to cheer up, King, look at Bonnie's face when Ed makes a turn. No sirens. We clear on that?" Shego's tone left no room for argument.

"Yes, sir ma'am," Tara replied meekly.

"Good girl. Nice work today. But the repair fees from the bank are coming out of your pay. Again. All in all, a typical day for Team Regal. See you back at HQ."

"I'm putting in for a transfer as soon as we get back," Bonnie muttered. "I can't work under these conditions."

"Ah, chill out, Three!" Motor Ed laughed. "Uncle Ed will even get you one of those diet shakes you like so much. Seriously."

"You have to admit, he spoils us," Tara added with a grin.

Bonnie mumbled something under her breath and crossed her arms over her chest. Some things were worth going through for a frosty diet shake, but in her opinion, this wasn't one of them.

* * *

Shego leaned back in her chair, wondering once again if it was healthy to be such a genius.

Though she hadn't known it at the time, Kim had taken her whole 'quit-while-you're-ahead' speech to heart, and had dropped out of the hero business (not that she ever got paid) when she graduated. Wade converted her website into a virtual scrapbook of completed missions, and even with the parts on Drakken and Shego mysteriously absent, it was an impressive sight.

Kim could've done anything she wanted at that point. Her first thought had been college, and perhaps a job on the side to keep her busy.

That, however, was when Shego suggested they move into their own place and consider other options. Which was really another way of saying she knew exactly what they were both going to be doing for the next few years.

Even though she'd been warned beforehand, Kim was not happy when she found out that Shego had turned her former cheerleading teammates into what she considered a personal army of Kim clones. But the fact was, they had all been well-trained, and there was definitely a need for them, now that everyone knew Kim was retired. There was also a need for Kim's expertise, and she soon found herself Head of Deployment. Sending her friends into danger was not an easy task, but she knew their individual strengths and weaknesses better than anyone, so picking the right jobs for them wasn't as hard as she'd feared.

That had only been half of Shego's plan, though. She'd salvaged the few of Drakken's henchmen that were smart enough to follow orders and dumb enough not to question working for the wrong side. Not that many of them had complaints about being paired up with two beautiful young women. The rest were just glad to be working under Shego again.

The key to the whole operation, however, was that Shego insisted that her teams be paid. Kim had been afraid that no one would go for it. As it turned out, however, most of her former clients had always been willing and able to pay. But since she always refused payment, they stopped offering. Even better, Shego allowed the girls to negotiate their payment with each client, so the complaints of high costs were few and far between.

Money had only been tight for the first few months, but once the girls and goons were divided into three-person teams and outfitted with gadgets from Load & Lipsky Tenchnologies (Kim had gotten a good laugh out of that one), the money hadn't stopped coming in.

There was only one bad apple in the bunch: Team Regal, named for Tara King and "Queen" Bonnie Rockwaller. Probably the worst thing was that no man had met Bonnie's approval, and she made their lives hell until they quit or were transferred. This had gone on until Kim put her foot down and assigned them a permanent partner: Motor Ed. Amazingly, it had worked. Bonnie still complained, but for the most part she was tuned out. Ed was fiercely protective of his girls, and Tara had been smitten with him since day one. The team now had a tendency to run wild and rack up enough damages to keep them in the red, but no one could deny that they always got the job done. It wasn't as if Shego couldn't afford to cover the costs, and aside from that, no one else would dare work with Bonnie.

* * *

Monique was a people person. That was how she'd gotten a sales job at Club Banana. That was why she'd eventually quit rather than gotten fired. That was why Shego had given her this cushy desk job (the salary alone had lured her away from Club Banana). All she really had to do was be herself and deal with the occasional nut job.

That was beauty of being a receptionist at a secret security service. They were public, but only in private circles. As such, only so many people even knew about them. Most were filthy rich and well connected. The rest only wished they were.

They all had to go through Monique, though.

Or, they all had to try.

Monique had developed an eye and an ear for people that would and wouldn't be dealt with. Shego didn't like to waste time, so it was a necessary and useful skill.

Sometimes, it was really just too obvious, though.

For example, when Adrena Lynn marched in for the fifth time in two weeks, Monique's hand went immediately to the silent security alarm. Her smile stayed perfectly in place, however. She didn't bother with the usual greeting, knowing full well that the woman already had a rant in mind.

Adrena Lynn did not disappoint.

"I am NOT leaving until you hire me!" she screeched.

Wordlessly, Monique slid an application across the desk.

Adrena instantly slammed down a completed application. The very same one that had, along with her, been ejected forcibly from the building four times already. It was a little dirty by now, but still perfectly legible.

Not that it mattered in the least.

Monique cleared her throat...and decided to be creative this time. "Are you aware of our affirmative action policy?"

Adrena blinked. "What?"

Monique rolled her eyes. "Are you a representative of an oppressed people and/or minority?"

"No! But what does that have to do with-"

"Did your ancestors suffer through slavery, attempted genocide, or any other large-scale mistreatment?"

Adrena scowled. "No, but that's not my fau-"

"Do you consider yourself African American, Black, Hispanic, Latino, Native American, Indian, or Alaskan Native?"

Adrena was starting to see a pattern here. "...yes?"

Monique smirked. "Then your Indian name must be Crazy White She-Devil, cuz you look like all three to me, which makes you Shit Outta Luck." Her smile widened. "Oh, and have a blessed day."

Furious, Adrena opened her mouth to protest, but a firm hand landed on her shoulder.

"I'm afraid that's sexual harassment, Ms. Lynn, and she doesn't have to take it anymore!"

Adrena whipped around, glaring incredulously at Ron Stoppable's smug face. "What the hell are you talking about? We're both girls!"

"That's the worst kind," Ron replied, tightening his grip on her shoulder. "You think just because this kind, honest, hard-working woman is but a receptionist, that you can take advantage of her? FOR SHAME!"

"Cryin' shame 'fore the Lord," Monique added, filing her nails.

"Now wait just a minute!" Adrena shouted. "I didn't do anything to her!"

Ron stared at the woman. "Are you saying," he said softly, "that you did NOT sexually harass this fine woman?"

"And he does mean fine," Monique chimed in distractedly.

Adrena looked at them both as if they were crazy. "No! I didn't do anything to her!"

"Well, that tears it!" Ron cried angrily. "By NOT attempting to sexually harass this woman, you have directly insulted her pride as a woman and a Nubian fertility goddess! I have no choice but to escort you from the premises!"

"NO, DAMN YOU!" Adrena screamed as Ron dragged her away. "I WAS SO CLOSE!"

"Tell your story walking, Lynn."

Monique shook her head and picked up the phone. "Shego, we just sent Lynn packing again. Is there any reason why we keep doing that?"

"It's fun, isn't it?" Shego asked.

"Well, yeah."

"That's all that matters."

"But didn't she used to be into extreme stunts?"

"She used to be into faking them. But that's not why."

"Why, then?"

"She forced Kimmie to save a boy. A dumb jock who wasn't worthy of her time."

"I think it's safe to say you have a problem with holding grudges."

"Do not. I happen to be very good at it."

"That's the problem, Shego."

"You know, I'm pretty sure you can get fired for talking back to your boss in most places."

"After I just got through telling Lynn about our expansive affirmative action policy?" Monique asked in surprise.

"You know damn well we don't have one."

"Yeah, but she didn't. See how valuable I am? I keep the common folk away from Queen Shego."

"Yet you insist on keeping that common boyfriend of yours around."

"Hey! My Ronnie is as uncommon as they come!"

"I have to admit I've never seen anyone else so afraid of monkeys."

"I seem to recall having someone with Mystical Monkey capabilities on staff has helped out in the past. I also recall your options are rather limited in that area."

"I hate you when you're right." There was a brief pause. "You up for dinner?"

"Only if we can wait for Ron to get back from throwing out Lynn."

"Ugh. Make sure he washes his hands."

* * *

Kim Possible had been very, very naughty. Although that was really more a matter of perspective.

From Shego's perspective, it would no doubt earn her a great deal of shouting and an entire evening of proof that wrestling could indeed be very, very real, and very, very painful.

They had agreed, more or less, that Shego's security service would be her number one priority above all others. And while this was still true, the fact remained that the job left Kim with an abundance of free time that had, until now, been thoroughly wasted. Perhaps they had both expected it to be more time-consuming, but it wasn't, and Kim was getting bored in between deployments.

So she'd had Wade put out some feelers, and had been accepted into several top online colleges. That was the easy part.

The hard part, Kim realized with a sinking feeling as she glanced to her right, was telling Shego that'd she'd done so behind her back.

It wasn't just that, though. Shego was educated herself, but almost reluctantly so, it seemed at times. She was of the opinion that everything she really needed to know, she'd learned as a criminal. She felt the same way about Kim's crimefighting (except for the not getting paid part). In short, Shego had something against traditional public schooling, though she would never come out and say what it was. She had been all too happy the day Kim had graduated, because she had never gotten a better chance to get Kim out of school for good.

It had worked...for a while.

Shego had insisted that being the spawn of a neurosurgeon and a rocket scientist had endowed Kim with more than enough smarts, and that crimefighting had filled in the rest. Yet it was those very traits that convinced Kim that she needed to finish her education.

Also several calls from her parents, but Shego didn't need to know about those.

Maybe dinner was the wrong place to do it, but if anything, Ron and Monique's presence would keep Shego from making too big a scene. If they'd been alone, Shego wouldn't have thought twice about tearing the restaurant apart in her fury at being defied.

Although, Shego had never exactly forbid Kim from going to college. But there was little doubt in Kim's mind that Shego would be upset about not being consulted on such a big decision.

If things really got messy, she was almost positive that between her and Ron, they could keep Shego in check. Maybe. Kim was perfectly capable of doing it herself, but she was finding it harder and harder to raise a hand against Shego outside of sparring sessions. She used to think that only someone like Shego would consider being in love a setback, but it was definitely sinking its hooks into her now.

Kim waited until they'd finished eating before reaching over to rub Shego's thigh.

Shego didn't even blink. "You did something bad, didn't you, Kimmie?"

"What makes you say that?" Kim asked, trying not to sound guilty.

"You never resort to public displays of affection unless you've been bad," Shego replied with a sigh. "So spit it out already."

"Why do I have to have done something? Can't I just be so attracted to you that I want to touch you no matter where we are?"

"Yeah," Shego admitted. "But you're sweating bullets and I haven't even touched you yet." Her eyes narrowed. "You really want to add lying to whatever you already need to be punished for?"

Kim bit her lip. "Shego, please don't be mad at me, but...I've been accepted into some online colleges."

"Don't you usually have to apply to those first?" Shego asked.

"...yeah," Kim whispered, lowering her head.

"So you went behind my back, AND you copped a feel under false pretenses," Shego snapped, jerking her leg away from Kim's hand.

"But...you're not mad about me going to college?" Kim asked.

"I would be, if you'd just come to me and said you wanted to. But I'm more pissed about the other two, now." Shego sipped her black coffee. "I'm hurt, Kimmie. Deeply hurt."

"You don't sound deeply hurt," Kim observed. "You sound like you're gonna get me back for this when I least expect it."

"Let's just say...we're even," Shego replied, smirking.

"Why is that?" Kim asked warily.

"I hired the tweebs," Shego answered calmly.

"WHAT!"

Suddenly, it was Ron trying to hold Kim back.

Ron laughed nervously. "KP, people are looking at-"

"SHEGO!"

Shego smiled. "Yes, my sweet little Kimmie?"

"How could you? No, WHY would you?"

"I needed a bomb squad."

Kim laughed. "You're insane! All they DO is blow stuff up!"

"Obviously, you're a little vague on my definition of what a bomb squad is supposed to do. I WANT them to blow stuff up," Shego clarified.

"You're going to pay them to make bombs!"

"No, I'm going to pay them to do what they already do. I'm counting on the fact that over sixty percent of their inventions explode for no reason at all."

Kim couldn't exactly fault Shego's logic. "My parents don't know about this?"

"Of course not. And they're not going to find out, if you want me to forgive you this time. Otherwise, we can try out this hold I saw on TV the other day. I think they call it the Crippler Crossface."

Kim had no idea what that was, but it sounded unpleasant, at least. "Fine. We're even."

"Then come here and seal the deal with a kiss. If you're not too angry, that is."

Scowling, Kim returned to her seat and kissed Shego, biting her lover's lip a bit as she pulled away.

"You should know by now that only turns me on," Shego teased.

"I agree with Shego," Ron said hoarsely, earning a dark look from Kim.

Monique elbowed him. "You've had your free peep show, white boy. Don't push it."

"It's not my fault! It's totally unnatural for a guy to look away when two girls kiss!"

"He's got a point," Shego agreed. "It's really asking a lot of him just to be in the same room as me."

Monique glared at her. "There is only ONE fertility goddess at this table!"

"Please, 'nique. You're a demigoddess at best. You have ONE worshipper. And even he can be swayed by the tiniest bit of HLA. You have no choice but to admit defeat...or join us."

Ron took a deep breath...and fainted.

"You two really need to stop that," Kim admonished, lifting Ron's head off of his plate.

"It's fun," Shego and Monique replied defensively.

"Merciless teasing is not fun."

"Who said we were teasing?" Shego asked.

Monique's smile faded. "You weren't?"

Shego rolled her eyes. "Hell no. I never joke about HLA."

"But you're with Kim!"

"I SAID you could join US."

"Shego, I can't believe you!" Monique cried. Although she didn't look half as disgusted as Kim would've liked.

"Monique!" Kim cried.

"What? I'm outraged!"

"You're DROOLING!"

"It's Ron's," Monique said quickly, wiping her mouth. "Must've ricocheted off of something."

"I think it's time to go," Kim snapped. "And I never thought I'd have to say this, but don't you DARE look at Shego's butt when we leave!"

"Pixie Scout's honor," Monique said, raising her hand.

Kim muttered to herself as she stormed off.

"You watched her butt instead, didn't you?" Shego asked.

Monique grinned. "She only made me promise not to watch yours."

"You've learned well, my young padawan." Shego stood up. "I really wasn't teasing, you know."

"I'm aware."

"Are you?"

"I'm aware enough," Monique corrected. "Now stop trying to cheat on Kim with me."

"Is it cheating if she's there?"

"...probably."

"But is it wrong if she's there?"

"...good night, Shego."

"Wimp," Shego sniffed as she followed Kim out of the restaurant.

Monique shook her head, then reached over and patted Ron's. "Hey, white boy. They're giving out free dessert."

"WHERE!" Ron cried, his head snapping up.

"Kidding. But if you come home with me right now, maybe I'll be your dessert."

"Can we use sprinkles this time? And whipped cream?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Don't get greedy," Monique replied, tapping his nose. "Sprinkles OR whipped cream."

"Aw, man..."

* * *

"And you're sure this is bulletproof?" Tara asked, stretching out the black sweater in front of her.

"Well, no," Tim Possible answered.

"That's why we need a lovely assistant to test it," Jim added.

"So how are you going to do that?" Tara wondered aloud.

"We kinda have to shoot you," Tim explained.

"You have guns in here?" Tara asked in surprise.

"No. Plasma catapults," Jim replied. "But if it can survive them, we're on the right track."

"Shego said so," Tim agreed.

"Oh. Well, if the boss thinks it's a good idea, go ahead." Tara pulled on the sweater.

"COOL!" The twins ran to set up what certainly looked like a large gun on wheels.

"You're just going to shoot once, right?" Tara asked, but the twins didn't seem to hear her.

"FIRE!"

The gun let out a loud roar as a greenish blob flew from the barrel, sailing through the air and landing neatly at Tara's feet, where it fizzled out with a tiny puff of smoke.

"We need more power," Tim sighed.

"We need Shego," Jim sighed as well. "Nothing shoots it like her."

Tara blinked. "So...are we done here?"

"Just a second!" the twins shouted, ducking behind the gun.

"Okay." Tara leaned against the wall, humming softly as the twins made their adjustments. She was just about to ask how long this would take when someone tapped her shoulder.

"Excuse me, but could you tell me where I might find-"

"HEY! I know you!" Tara cried gleefully.

The thin, pale man blinked. "You do?"

"Yeah! You used to be blue! You're Doctor Drakken, right?"

"Uh...I go by Dr. Lipsky now, actually," he replied hesitantly. "But yes, I was. As I was saying, could you tell me where I might find Shego?"

"Oh, she's already gone for the day. She and Kim went out to eat. But if you stick around, I think I could get a hold of her."

"Okay, we're ready now!" Tim called.

"Might wanna take a deep breath!" Jim advised.

Dr. Lipsky frowned thoughtfully. "Is that a plasma launcher?"

"Catapult," Tara corrected.

"But I don't see an external power source. So what is it running on?"

"We reconfigured it a second ago," Tim explained. "We found a limitless power source!"

"...what?"

"Air!"

"Actually, it runs on a certain kind of air. The very same generated in the typical human breath. Show him, Jim."

Jim bent down behind the gun and prepared to take a deep breath.

Dr. Lipsky's eyes widened. "NO! STOP!"

Tara stared at him. "What? They're just-"

There was a sound not unlike a sonic boom, and Tara suddenly found herself on the floor with Dr. Lipsky sprawled on top of her. She was about to be angry when she noticed the large, smoking hole in the wall just over their heads.

"Deep breaths," Dr. Lipsky panted as he helped Tara up, "aren't really necessary. As you can hopefully see now."

"Oh," the twins responded. "Our bad!"

The man sighed and ran a hand through his thinning black hair. "Does Shego always let them conduct experiments without supervision?"

Tara blushed. "I was, um...supposed to be keeping an eye on them. But then they called me a lovely assistant, and, well...I kinda forgot."

"Ah." While Dr. Lipsky wasn't about to call the young woman's loveliness into question, he had some serious doubts about her judgment capacities. He decided it was best not to point out that she'd nearly become little more than a smear on the wall. "Maybe I should just come back tomorrow." His eyes drifted back to the twins, who seemed to be considering firing again. "But first, I'm going to give them a few pointers."

* * *

Shego got something of a shock when she walked into the lab the next morning.

There were scorch marks everywhere, but she hardly noticed them.

What she did notice was the tweebs and Drew Lipsky laughing madly as they downed a suspicious reddish liquid from beakers at a rapid rate.

Shaking her head, Shego marched over to them and cleared her throat. "What have you done to my lab?"

"Ah, Shhhhhhego!" Dr. Lipsky slurred, a big smile plastered across his face. "So good to ssssssee you again!"

"Okay, someone's had enough." Shego plucked the beaker from his hand and sniffed. Frowning, she took a sip. "You've got to be kidding me. You got drunk on a Shirley Temple?"

"Fifty-seven Shirley Temples," Tim added. "After a while, we just stopped trying to make him stop, it was so funny."

"This is just sad, even for you, Dr. D," Shego sighed.

Dr. Lipsky looked like he wanted to correct her, but then his head dropped weakly onto her shoulder, and he began to snore loudly.

"He helped us fix the plasma catapult," Jim pointed out.

"And was that before or after he got drunk?" Shego asked.

"Before," Tim replied.

"Mostly," Jim chimed in.

"Huh." Shego rubbed the bridge of her nose. "What happened to Tara?"

"She went home around Shirley Temple number seven."

The twins looked at each other and smirked. "Lightweight."

"Did either of you geniuses think to call home, considering you were here all night?"

"Sure," Tim said. "We told Mom and Dad we were here."

"With you," Jim added.

The twins glanced at each other. "They REALLY wanna talk to you."

Shego barely held in a growl. "I don't suppose you thought to call them before dousing yourselves with Shirley Temples?"

Tim shook his head. "Nope. It was already too late. Dad gets really cranky when the phone wakes him up at night."

"So we waited until five in the morning." Jim grinned at her.

Shego slowly counted to ten, for all the good it did. "Are you trying to punish me, or do you actually not know how vexing this all is?"

"We'd never vex you," Tim responded, looking insulted.

Jim nodded and grinned. "Yeah! We LIKE you!"

Shego wondered if it would be totally inappropriate to burst into tears, and not the happy kind, either.

* * *

Kim was almost done with her shower when the bathroom door opened and closed. Grabbing a rather pointy bottle of shampoo, she peeked around the curtain.

Shego was banging her head against the mirror.

Kim turned off the water. "Um...Shego?"

Thankfully, Shego stopped. "We're not even anymore. You owe me."

"For what?" Kim asked, a little defensively.

"For being related to, and expecting me to marry into, a family that contains those little monsters."

"Didn't you used to call them your little monsters?"

"That was before they got me in trouble and broke my stuff."

"So? Motor Ed does that all the time."

"No, he breaks everyone else's stuff and I end up paying for it. Big difference."

"Not really. And since I'm such a loving partner, I won't toss in a 'told-you-so' like some people I know."

"You're all heart, Kimmie." Shego allowed her gaze to lock on Kim's towel-clad, dripping wet form. "Well, mostly."

"Don't even think about it. I'm helping Mom in surgery today, and I can't be late."

"You wouldn't technically be late if we made out in the hovercraft on the way."

"Who would drive?"

"Monique. She loves getting out of the office once in a while. Ron can watch the desk."

"And this isn't a plot to get Monique involved in our making out?"

Shego looked shocked. "Why, Kimmie! Are you suggesting that we let Monique join in on our lovemaking?" Her face split into a grin. "Well, if you insist, I'm not gonna fight you on it."

"NO. Monique is a friend, not a lover."

"That's not what Ron says."

"Monique is OUR friend, not our lover."

"She could be."

"Shego, no."

"Ron could join in, too, if you want."

"And what," Kim snapped, "makes you think I would want Ron to join in?"

"Just tossing it out there."

"Toss it BACK in."

"You used to be so open-minded."

"Not about us. I don't like the idea of sharing you with anyone."

"That's hardly fair. Monique and Ron have to share you with me."

"Not in THAT way, though."

"Only because you wouldn't let them. You practically drove them together, they were so horny."

"I'm not going to sleep with someone just because they have a crush on me!"

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying they love you, whether they're your lovers or not."

"They're with each other. I couldn't intrude on that, even if I wanted to."

"It's not intruding if they want to do it."

"Of course they do! They're always horny!"

"And you're not?"

Kim glared at her. "NO. Anyway, I'm only horny for you."

"Oh, come on. You can't tell me that if Monique walked in here naked right now, you wouldn't get a good, long look."

"What are the chances of Monique getting naked in our apartment?"

Shego grinned at her.

"You DIDN'T!" Kim cried.

"No, but I could. So I'd advise that you get real open-minded real quick, Kimmie. Gotta keep the relationship fresh."

"Shego, get back here!" Kim demanded as Shego walked out.

"Can't be late! Hurry up!"

Kim growled and checked herself in the mirror. She was a bit surprised to find a smile spreading across her face, and quickly looked away.

"...Monique's not really in there, is she?"

"Well, I'm not naked!" Monique shouted.

"Yet!" Shego added.

Kim wanted to shout, but there was that smile again. "I'll be right out."

"Take your time!" Shego shouted.

"Please!" Monique cooed, following that with a soft moan.

Kim raced out of the bathroom, only to find Shego and Monique fully-clothed and laughing their heads off.

"I have to say, you look good in a towel, Kim," Monique gasped between giggles.

"She looks better in what's under it," Shego added.

Kim ran right back into the bathroom.

"Kim, we're just teasing!" Monique assured her, poking her head into the bathroom. "Not about the towel, though."

"You'll excuse me if I don't laugh, because it really seems like you two are having too much fun out there."

Monique slipped inside and closed the door. "Are you implying that you'd rather have fun in here, with me?"

"No, I just-" Kim trailed off as she noticed that Monique was staring at her. "Um...what are you doing?"

"Admiring you."

"You're not going to start drooling again, are you?"

"Not just yet." Monique lowered her voice. "Kim...you know I love you, right?"

"I don't think I'm ever going to forget that, Monique."

"And you know Ron does, too."

"Again, not likely to forget that."

Monique sighed. "Is the thought of being with either of us really so bad?"

"Now that you're together, yes, it is."

"What if," Monique said, "all four of us were just in a room, naked?"

"Why would that EVER happen?"

"Ron's on his way," Monique murmured.

"I don't believe you people!" Kim wailed.

"Kim, do you trust me?"

"I used to. Now I don't know."

"Do you trust that I would never do anything to hurt you or Shego?"

"...yes."

Monique walked over and wrapped her arms around Kim from behind, resting her chin on Kim's bare shoulder. "Then trust me when I say we're doing this for you, as much as we are for us."

"It does seem like it's more for you guys."

"It isn't. Honest. Although we are really looking forward to it."

"And who came up with this idea?"

"Shego and I. Ron was excited when we told him. So we're hoping you'll say yes by the time he gets here."

"I don't know, Monique..."

"It's nothing we plan to do often. Though, if everyone enjoys it, there's no reason why we couldn't. Just once, we all agree would be enough. If you don't like it, it'll never happen again."

"...and if I do?" Kim asked.

Monique softly kissed Kim's cheek. "Then I look forward to showing you how much I love you again, and again, and again."

"I have to admit I'm curious about that myself. But Mom-"

"Shego's calling her. You're working. Big kidnapping case."

"Seems like the one being help captive is me, though."

"I promise we'll let you go when we're done." Monique sighed and brushed her lips against Kim's neck. "Probably."

Kim closed her eyes. "You're hardly giving me a choice here."

"You have a choice. We're just making it seem really, really one-sided. You can still say no."

"Can I?"

"Well, you can try. But we're going to do our best to keep you here."

"Does being with me really mean that much to you two?"

"Always has, Kim. Always has. And I doubt Shego is going to be this lenient for long, so we had to try."

Kim opened her eyes and stared into the mirror. "Dad always did wish I'd settle down with Ron."

"Well, let's not get crazy or anything. He's still my white boy. But I can share for a few hours, if it means I get to have you for the same amount of time."

"It's starting to sound like you've already decided who's going to be with who first."

"Considering Shego is probably going to jump Ron the instant he comes through the door, we don't have much choice." Monique smiled. "I like to think it would've happened that way anyhow."

"Somehow, I think it would've, too."

There was a very familiar shout of surprise outside the door, followed by a loud thump.

"Ron's here." Monique looked at Kim's reflection. "Should I go out and stop them?"

Kim took a deep breath. "Only if you don't want to know how good I look without the towel."

"They're grown, they'll be fine," Monique said instantly.

"I think we will be, too," Kim agreed, smiling. "I think we all will be."

The End.

* * *

Okay, who didn't see that coming? Yes, it's really, truly, finally over. Sort of. An idea was recently pitched to me about a spin-off of certain events in "On A Break." Mainly, Kim taking Drakken's job offer. Well, we'll see how the other series go first. Thanks for reading.

Reviews!

vincent valintine

This story rocks man I hope they get back together I mean sure I had the idea of having Ron and Shego get together but this was a better idea. I can't wait for chapter five man you are really good at it and I really like how you don't really go into the details of the sexual night in chapter three

_I have nothing against Ron and Shego being together, but at the time I didn't really see that possibility adding anything to the story. Now that I've read stories about them, I'll definitely consider it in the future._

* * *

Nate Sindel

I love the "On" series, having just taken to reading it last night. You said this was going to be one chapter, maybe two, apparently it's become a story in itself, hehe. Not that I mind, quite the contrary actually, this story is one of the best Kim/Shegos I've ever read, and there really are so few of them (mine included). You seem to have a real grasp on how to handle the emotions that the characters may feel (especially Mr. Dr. Possible). The humor is great too, and that's needed in fics like this, as a bit of a relief from the drama. You're also keeping true to the Kim Possible style, having slightly more comedy than seriousness. And having the Monique/Ron pairing was quite unexpected, but also very refreshing. Sad to hear there's only one more chapter, try to make it extra long.

_I get that comment about Ron and Monique a lot, for some reason... I tend to think Kim Possible was always meant to be more comedy than anything else. Now, I have nothing against pure drama stories with almost no humor whatsoever. But hey, I can always use a laugh, and I figure most people are no different. Thanks for sticking with me through this thing._

* * *

Neko

LOL! The little yelling scene with Shego and Kim's dad was too funny! And the whole 'mom drugged me thing' that was something. Great chapter plz update soon!

_I tend to think Papa Possible can get overprotective where his kids and home are concerned. And of course a rulebreaker like Shego is going to rub him the wrong way. But DID Mrs. P really drug Shego? Hmm..._

* * *

Rin Leonhart

I kind of had to laugh at your little warning at the top of the page with the language being 'un-Disney'. If Disney would get a clue, would there be a need for us Kigo writers?

Oh, and that picture Kim's mom took of Shego with the pandaroo was priceless ;) Now did Kim's mom REALLY slip something in her drink or did Shego just not want to admit to having cuddled with Kim's stuffed toy?

Love it so far, keep it up!

_Mrs. P gave Shego the apple juice, but Kim's explanation is still FAR more likely. Although Shego definitely was NOT cuddling Pandaroo when she fell asleep. That, you CAN blame Mrs. P for. Everything else is pure coincidence._

* * *

MikoHuntress

Ah... Nate you had me laughing the whole time. Loved the photo comments. Never knew Monique could be so kinky. ;)

_There's actually a fairly good chance she isn't, but when I write Monique, I draw on canon stuff and the few times I've been platonic friends with Nubian...I mean, young women of color. And I'm always glad to get a laugh._

* * *

Serpent King

Have you ever read Reds, Greens & Holiday Blues by MyklarCure? The part at the end of this chapter reminds me of the beginning of Chapter 2 of that story.

I'm sad to learn that this series is ending.

_No, but I'll trust your obviously good taste in writers and check it out. The series is ending because I have no idea what else to do with it, and because I want to get my Ron series up and running. But I might have a few more Kigo stories left in me, so who knows?_


	6. Aftermath

Notes: I wouldn't have done this, if not for a very…interesting review. So you can all thank Travis. I guess.

Epilogue: Aftermath

"I don't think she's in there."

"Of COURSE she's in there, where else would she be?"

"Then I don't think we should be trying to break in. You know how the boss gets."

"Tara, if you're not going to help, then quit whining so I can do this."

Tara pouted, crossing her arms as she watched Bonnie try her hand at lock picking. Considering she only had a credit card and a very complicated lock to work with, it wasn't going too well. Shego had made certain her home was very secure.

There were some things it couldn't stand up against, though. Like the handheld laser nestled in Tara's pocket. The one she would gladly tell Bonnie about, once her partner apologized and really meant it.

* * *

Kim woke up to the odd, uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched. It wasn't until she slipped out from under Monique's arm that she spotted Ron leaning against the wall, wearing a pair of baggy sweatpants.

"Hey," she said quietly, her cheeks burning.

"Hi," Ron replied, looking equally uncomfortable.

"So, um…about today," Kim murmured hesitantly.

"We shall never speak of it," Ron supplied.

"We won't?"

Ron nodded sagely. "For many reasons, all of them awk-weird."

"So…you didn't…I mean…"

"Oh, I liked it. Every second. You know, except for the spanking part."

Kim barely held in a laugh. "I've never seen Shego do that before, I swear."

"A likely story."

"Ron, really. I didn't know she was into it. Maybe she only does it with guys."

"I bet she's only done it with me," Ron muttered. "She always has to be in control."

"You get used to it."

"Not really."

"Okay, well, I got used to it."

"But she never spanked you!"

"Ron, she's put me in holds that would make Steel Toe cry for his mommy. We're way beyond spanking."

"Whatever."

"Say, um…toss me my robe? I think it's still in the bathroom."

She was eternally grateful that Ron left the room without pointing out that he'd already seen her naked. This was true, but if they were really going to act like this day was just a dream, better to start now.

Ron returned shortly with the robe. "KP, do you think this was a mistake?" he asked, handing it to her.

"I'm not really sure," Kim admitted as she turned away to slip it on. "I enjoyed it, same as you did. But I also don't know if it would be wise to repeat this experience."

"Spanking weirded you out, too?"

"No, from what I saw, it was actually kinda funny. But, um…I was pretty occupied at the moment, and, well…"

Ron grinned. "She's good, right?"

Kim blushed. "You're an incredibly lucky man, Ron Stoppable. Now can we please talk about something else?"

"Right. I'll go whip up some breakfast, and-"

"Did you hear something?" Kim asked sharply.

"No, but I don't think-"

It was then that the bedroom door slammed open, spilling Bonnie and Tara all over the carpet.

"Owww! Bonnie get your elbow out of my…" Tara trailed off as her eyes took in Ron, Kim, their near state of undress, and then the two unconscious bodies on the bed. "OOOOOOH!"

Bonnie was a bit more tasteful, she just stared in open-mouthed shock.

Shego grunted as she sat up. "Ah, great. The whole office will know inside a day." She fixed the two girls with a glare. "What do you want and why shouldn't I fire you?"

"We won't tell, honest!" Tara cried, scrambling to her feet. "Right, Bonnie?"

Bonnie didn't answer, and she still hadn't gotten up.

Shego rolled her eyes. "Answer the first question. What do you want?"

"Adrena Lynn is suing you for running a racially discriminatory workplace."

"On what basis?"

Tara frowned. "Something about denying a Native American applicant…"

Shego snorted. "Hell, I'd let Stoppable spank ME if she even has a drop of Native American blood."

"That's an…odd choice of words," Tara observed.

"Is there anything else?" Ron asked loudly.

"Just one. Is this why you guys don't like to be bothered on the weekends?"

"Pick up your slack-jawed friend and get out!" Shego ordered.

* * *

"So…never?" Monique asked. "Never, ever again?"

Kim sighed. "Monique, please. I'm trying to eat."

"Forget the food! Why, Kim? Was it something I did? Did you not like it when I-"

"Monique!" Kim hissed. "Would you stop it? You didn't do anything I didn't like. And that's part of the problem."

"I'm not following you, girl."

"It's one of those things that's great once, but after that it's never as good."

Monique looked insulted. "Oh, yeah? You give me five minutes alone, and I'll-"

"NO, you will not!" Kim interrupted, turning red. "Monique, this has nothing to do with ability!"

"Then what?"

Kim took a deep breath. "I'm scared it might hurt both our relationships. What if Shego gets too into you? Or if Ron gets too into me?"

"Okay, I see your point. Why didn't you just say that?"

"You wouldn't let me!"

"Sorry." Monique lowered her voice. "So…you liked it? All of it? Even the spanking?"

Kim grinned. "Especially that, but don't tell Ron. It made him feel insecure, I think."

"Aw! I wanted to try it out on him."

"Don't you dare! He's sensitive enough about it."

"So…no regrets?" Monique asked.

"I guess not." Kim didn't look so sure.

"Is it going to make things awk-weird between us?"

"No." Kim paused. "Well, I hope not. So long as you respect my personal space."

"I do respect it! So much that I want to be in it again!" Monique laughed.

"Oh, you're very funny."

"I wasn't really joking, but if that's the way you want it, Kim." She reached across the table and laid her hand on Kim's. "But now you'll never doubt the way I feel about you, will you?"

"Definitely not."

"Good. That's what I wanted." Monique drew her hand back. "And if you see Ron ogling any mug shots of Shego, feel free to smack him, once for each of us."

"I think he's more afraid of her again. Because of the spanking."

"What is it about a woman smacking a man's butt that turns him into a child?"

"I'm sure I don't know. Maybe Shego does."

"Oh, I'm almost positive she would."

* * *

"I can drive back to the office myself, you know."

"I know. But I have your keys."

Ron just barely stifled a groan. "Okay. What's it gonna take for me to get my keys back?"

Shego smirked at him. "You'll get them back…at the office…after I've driven you there."

"In MY car?"

"No, mine."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I enjoy making you uncomfortable. And you have to look at me sometime."

"I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you."

"You're being a bad boy, Ron. And bad boys get-"

"DON'T."

Shego grinned wickedly and unlocked the doors. "Get in, then."

Sighing loudly, Ron got into the car and buckled his seat belt. "I better get a raise for this."

Shego snorted as she started the car. "No way. You got to see me naked."

"Not by choice."

"You saw, anyway."

"I didn't want to! You jumped me and tied me up with my own clothes!"

"You would've run if I hadn't, and then you wouldn't have got to see me naked, and you're deprived enough as it is."

"Hey, I got Monique all by myself!"

"No, you were lucky. You were lucky to be Kimmie's buddy for so long, you were lucky she and Monique became friends, and you were lucky that you were both smart enough to fall for Kimmie and stupid enough to be so slow in realizing it. Otherwise, you never would've gotten Monique…or seen me naked."

Ron glared at her. "I have to say, seeing you naked wasn't the highlight of the experience. It pales in comparison to the rest."

"Ah. A joke at my expense. It might actually hurt, if you weren't so pitiful already."

"I've decided. I don't like working for you anymore. I quit."

"You can't quit. Doesn't work that way. You can only be fired. Much as I'd like to do that, I can't. I need Monique, and she's currently under the delusion that she needs you. So you both stay."

"You don't have that in writing."

"I do, actually. Monique signed a contract committing you both. Same as every other team. You just didn't know about it."

"She wouldn't do that."

"Did. I advised her not to tell you."

"Why?"

"So I could spring it on you like this when you did try to quit, of course."

Ron shook his head. "I don't understand you, Shego. When I see you with Kim, you're so…nice most of the time. But the instant we're alone, it's like you never stopped working for Drakken."

"And figuring me out would make you feel better?"

"No. But I'm tired of fighting with you. We're supposed to be on the same side now."

"Okay, Ron. I'll make a deal with you. I'll play nice from now on, and all you have to do…"

Ron closed his eyes. "Here it comes."

Shego chuckled. "Just tell me exactly what you were thinking when I spanked you."

"You promise you'll be nice? You swear on…on…this won't work, nothing's sacred to you, is it?"

"I swear on Kimmie's Pandaroo. She always makes me swear on it, because she knows I hate it with everything that I am."

"So how is that sacred to you?"

Shego scowled. "It's sacred because Kimmie loves the damn thing so much. It's sickening, a woman her age still going to bed with a ball of fluff. She even washes it by hand." She took a deep, cleansing breath. "So what were you thinking?"

"Honestly? That my mom was going to walk in any second and disown me."

"Cute."

Ron shuddered. "You obviously don't know my mom very well."

"How bad could she be?"

"She still hasn't recovered from me and Monique skipping dating. So I know today would give her a stroke."

"Too bad. Bet you wish for Kimmie's parents all the time, huh?"

"Her mom, anyway. I've been threatened with black holes too many times. Worst my dad can do is tell me the likelihood of things going wrong if I don't take his advice."

"And what did he say about working for me?"

Ron shrugged. "So long as Kim was on board, little or no risk. If she left…you don't wanna know."

"Well, he's not an idiot, at least."

"I thought you were playing nice now?"

"What? I said he wasn't an idiot!"

Ron sighed heavily. "Forget it."

:"Hey, this IS nice…for me. Not my fault if you didn't specify the terms of our deal. Always read the fine print, Ron."

"Warning: May cause headaches, heart trauma, nausea, bruising, plasma burns, and blurred vision."

"You forgot red buns and cheeks."

"JUST DRIVE!"

For once, Shego did exactly as she was told.

But Ron still couldn't bring himself to look at her for more than a few seconds. Because he'd either see a wide grin on her face, or picture her hand falling for another swat. Really, he didn't know which one was worse. Either way, he had a sinking feeling that Shego being nice would be even worse than her being…well, Shego.

"Since I'm being nice and all," Shego said suddenly. "I think you need some advice."

"On what?" Ron asked warily.

"Well, I noticed today that your rhythm was off."

"Kim didn't have ANY complaints."

"She has no basis for comparison, plus she was being nice."

"Like you're supposed to be?"

"I'm trying to help. I can see you need more lessons in that area, so-"

"NO."

"Let me finish. After work we'll grab Monique, and I'll coach you through it."

"I don't like your coaching. You always yell."

"How can you learn if you don't know when you're doing it wrong?"

"But you yelled when I got it right, too."

"Positive reinforcement. Unless you'd rather I just gave you a slap on the ass."

"Yelling's good. Yelling's great."

"Maybe we should get Kimmie in on this, see what she liked and didn't."

"She liked it all!"

"You just keep telling yourself that. I know what a completely satisfied Kimmie looks like, and she only looked that way when Monique got done with her."

"If I wasn't so disgusted by the thought of being with you again, I'd make you pull this car over right now."

Shego smirked. "Guess we're both lucky, then."

"Nice?" Ron asked heatedly.

"Sorry. Force of habit."

"Maybe YOU should get spanked when you can't remember to be nice."

"Monique would kill you. And Kimmie wouldn't speak to your corpse for a week."

"That's not fair!"

"Nope, it's nice and fair. For me."

"You cheated somehow, I just know you did…"

"You ever prove it, you can have all the time with my butt that you want."

"And this is something I'm supposed to want?"

"No, but I am supposed to be nice now."

"That doesn't really include offering up your body parts."

"Forget I said anything then. We'll just stop by Bueno Naco on the way to your lesson. My treat."

"See? Was that really so hard?"

"Yeah," Shego muttered, glancing at her arm. "I think it's giving me a rash."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Just drive," he murmured weakly.

**The End** (for real this time, I hope)

* * *

Reviews!

Thorn on a Rose

AWESOME!

I laughed all the way through this part of the story and I enjoyed every moment of it-

...do you think you could send me the rest of that last part of the scene because I would really like to read it-

If not that's ok...sniff...ok...-

_I hate to disappoint you, but there is no more. I'm not one of those writers who posts 'clean' and 'dirty' versions of fics. Because all my fics are arguably 'clean' and writing 'dirty' is something I can't/won't do for personal reasons. So I'm afraid you'll have to just imagine all the naughtiness. No doubt that was part of my reason for not describing the scene in any greater detail. Apparently, everyone else was too outraged to imagine..._

* * *

Travis Johnson

Okay. The reviews have been down for a few days. I'm going to be calm about this. Just let me get this out of my system (gasp): WHAT? WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? A FOURSOME? OH YOU...oh... AGH!

There.

Good.

Now, here's the thing. All the parts of the "On" series are absolutely fucking stunning. Maybe better than anything that I can write at the moment. Through a combination of dialogue and actual knowledge of how these characters would act given this stimuli, you've managed to craft a story with more emotional power than the source material.

However, in writing this, there came an unfortunate side effect: Sheego.

Sheego pissed me off.

I understand that she's a bitch. AND an A-type personality. BUT, in your portrayal of her and the merciless way that she nearly wrecked the lives of everyone around her lover, I couldn't help but get pissed. To wit:

1.The fact that, despite settling in with Kim, Sheego shows nothing but disdain for those around her (just how many times did she threaten that whole "spirit her away" thing?)

2.In her protectiveness, Shego never ONCE says she loved Kim. EVER. I realize that the fact that she was willing to immolate Monkey Fist stands for something, but the fact remains that she doesn't appreciate a damn thing she has.

3.The entire triad with Ron. Her hatred of him is not only unreasonable, but makes her come off as a vindictive control freak (and may I add that that whole "you can't blame me for getting what I wanted" speech is heartbreaking and infuriating in a way I'm certain you didn't anticipate.)

4.The foursome. Not that this was some kind of "deviant lifestyle" issue-you don't read four chapters of touching lesbian romance and get pissed that they don't do it missionary position-but the undercurrents that that this act smacks of. As if it weren't enough that the manner Shego attains Kim isn't remorselessly damaging enough, she has the nerve to dangle Kim in front of the only two people in the world who love her as much (if not more) than her like a plaything? WHA!

I'm not homophobic. I'm a goddamn Kim Possible fan. Kigo fics are part of my job description. I'm just sharing with you, as a writer, the emotions that your work provoked, in the interest of you addressing it. I eagerly await your response.

_At no point in the story did I specifically say there would be a foursome. It's probably my fault for NOT going into detail there, but I guess I just assumed people could read my dirty mind. So let me clear up any lingering doubts about what I wanted to happen, not that I think it will matter to you much. _

_What I was trying to imply was that there would be some semblance of organization to it: that is, turn-taking. Silly, I know, but the scene was supposed to involve actual human feelings, not just an orgy hive mind. But I understand why people would assume that the instant they think multiple sexual partners, and again, I didn't get detailed._

_It's Shego, not Sheego. She's supposed to piss you off, that's what she does. Shego is a naturally destructive person, so you shouldn't be surprised that people get hurt, emotionally or otherwise, around her. But you're making it sound like she's got an elaborate plan to systematically ruin the lives of Kim's circle. That isn't the case. (as far as I'm concerned, everyone but the bad guys ended up fine) But you can't mix a moral person with an immoral person and not expect some friction. Keep in mind that SOME of the bad things that happened (Ron missing a mission, Kim being babyfied) were NOT Shego's fault. If she stood to benefit from those bad things for whatever reason, that's just right place, right time syndrome._

_1. Shego does not continue to show "nothing but disdain for those around her." You're looking only at the dialogue and getting the wrong message. If you focus solely on Shego's words, you'll assume she's almost always angry. She IS angry a lot, but there's more to it than that. She has problems with authority (Kim's parents) and rebels against it, and she does threaten to take Kim away, but she never actually DOES. At least, she never makes Kim totally unreachable to her family. But she knows that the Doctors Possible can control Kim (that includes dating), and she wants sole control. Yet she also knows that these are Kim's parents, and tries to get along with them (she calls them Mom and Pops, remember?). And you missed it, but Shego stated that she liked Monique. It's even implied that the tweebs have grown on her (even KIM has trouble showing them affection). As for her treatment of the squad, that was to get them into tip-top KP shape (not an easy thing to be unless you're pushed, hard). So it's not disdain. Shego has problems with admitting her true feelings (aside from anger), so don't expect her to express them in words. Combined with her sarcastic wit, her words will always be harsh. Look at her actions, though: encouraging the tweebs, NOT kidnapping Kim from her home, giving Monique and Ron advice, organizing a company that actually does some good in the world. That's not disdain, that's good under the disguise of disdain. Because as I kept saying, "Shego doesn't do nice." She had (or has, in her mind) a reputation to uphold._

_2. Shego is not the type of person to say a thing like "I love you" often (and she DID say it, in the final chapter of On Board, Baby). Again, you're focusing on words, not actions. Rather than say it, Shego shows her love: looking after Kim as a baby, adapting (trying anyway) to Kim's family life, rushing home from work to spend as much time as possible with Kim, trying to retire Kim before she gets hurt (I wrote that scene with nothing but Shego's love for Kim in mind, I refuse to believe it didn't come through there), trying to protect Kim from the truth about Monique and Ron (then demanding they confess when she found it was actually hurting Kim), worrying about Kim when Dementor gets out, and yes, even setting up Kim at the end. She had her own motivation there, but the underlying message was that there were unresolved feelings between Ron, Monique, and Kim, and this was a way of...well, expressing them. And maybe sex wasn't the best way to do it, but in Ron's case at least, his initial desire specifically involved sex with Kim._

_3. Shego IS a vindictive control freak. She likes being in control, and she holds grudges well. Her main dislike of Ron, as Monique pointed out, was that she saw him as competition for Kim's heart (a pretty real threat, considering his feelings for Kim). But she comes to realize that Kim, Ron, and Monique are a package deal, so she doesn't go on hating him. And that speech you hate so much? It was partially designed to make Ron realize that while he had lost Kim, he hadn't lost completely: he still had Monique. I didn't really see it as heartbreaking, so much as it was helpful, though in Shego's usual brash way of 'take-my-advice-and-shut-up'. _

_4. Shego is always manipulative. And maybe because readers are so used to her using that talent for evil, they can't see it when she uses it for 'good'. Or they didn't recognize it as good. Shego isn't dangling Kim; that implies that she's teasing and the 'foursome' never happens. It was stated that the whole thing was half Monique's idea. Monique, who has admitted to loving Kim, and still does. (odd how you constantly focus on Shego's words, then you ignore Monique's when they really matter) We've already established that Monique and Ron have no problems expressing themselves through physical love. Also we see how Monique and Shego understand each other, and are even attracted to each other somewhat. The only odd man out is Kim, and this is why she had to be manipulated into it. And we know Shego won't hesitate to do that. Is it healthy? Probably not. But Shego lives to get away with things, and this is no different. As I said before, this wasn't just a spontaneous fling based on nothing. Monique and Ron still have feelings for Kim, and she, at least, is curious (having never been with a guy). I just assume that Shego can be very sexual when the mood hits her (must be the black lipstick), and wouldn't pass up a chance to not only be with another partner, but to control another partner. There's no real basis for her to be attracted to Ron other than animal magnetism (joke), but she has to do something while Kim and Monique are busy with each other (taking turns, see?)._

_I hope that helps. Because I'm not changing anything. At least, not unless my mind changes first. But I don't think it will. Thanks for reading and reviewing, though._

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Grim-unholy

Please keep writing kigo fictions, your writing is way too good! i really liked the 'on' series, but is this really the last one of it's kind? i was hoping that you'd continue them. you are absolutely amazing, and please don't stop writing.

_I think you misread me, friend. I'm still writing! This is just the end to THIS series. Sort of (you read the note at the end, yes?)._

* * *

Sand Lord

I love the 'On' series. This ending is a good one, and really...suggestive. I totally like Tara crushing on Motor Ed. He's one on my favourite villains in the series. Right after Shego. Well done story. Seriously.

_Not suggestive enough, it would seem. I like Motor Ed, too. I don't know why I didn't have him return Tara's feelings. I think he's more into bad girls, like Shego._


End file.
